


#angelpolitics

by angelsaboveandbelow



Category: Original Work, Paradise Lost - John Milton
Genre: Angels, Angels are Dicks, Eldritch Angels, Fallen Angels, Feathered Balls of Rage/Righteousness, Multi, Prequel, angel politics
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-31
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2019-02-24 10:45:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13212138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelsaboveandbelow/pseuds/angelsaboveandbelow
Summary: A prequel to the story of Angels Above and Below, following Lucifer from the Fall to present day. Hold on to your butts, kiddos.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Very much a work in progress still.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lucifer explores his new home.

 

> _“You are cast out from the Heavens to the ground_  
>  _Blackened feathers falling down._  
>  _You will wear your independence like a crown.”_
> 
> _-Ghost, “From the Pinnacle to the Pit”_
> 
>  

When Lucifer and his followers were cast from Heaven -the battle finally over, the rebellion stifled- the Host sang. But it was not out of joy or triumph at their victory over evil, for that evil was their brothers and sisters. It was an elegy, a lamentation, a requiem for the souls who were lost, either to a blade or to the fall.

Heaven grieved that night.

The angels who remained could at least take some comfort in the knowledge that those who had been slain -whether on Lucifer’s side or their own- would eventually be reincarnated. Michael vowed before everyone that the reborn rebel angels would be treated with kindness and mercy- raised right so they would never risk falling again. (Even with the hazy memories of their past lives, with Lucifer removed from the equation converting the rebels would be a far easier task.)

Though at a high cost, Heaven had won.

 

* * *

 

When Lucifer and his followers were cast from Heaven -the battle finally over, their rebellion defeated- the fallen angels struck the Earth like blazing comets and regretted everything they had done.

They were scattered across the lands hundreds of miles apart, suddenly blind in their divine eyes from the archangels’ punishment, and deaf to the once omnipresent song of the Host. Their feathers were singed and everything hurt: body, mind, and soul.

 

* * *

 

Of all the angels that fell to the Earth, Lucifer was the first one to pick himself up and rise onto trembling legs. The deep wounds crisscrossing around both pairs of his eyes were oozing blood. He, unlike the others, did not bear the brand that labeled him as a traitor to Heaven (perhaps Michael assumed that the gouges he had carved in his face were enough of a marker), but his chest ached in sympathy for his brethren.

It was dark, with only half of the moon to provide some meager light. Lucifer reflexively tried to manifest his halo to brighten the area, but no light, no warmth shone from him. Where there had once been the humming of divinity just beneath his skin, there was nothing but an inescapable feeling of loss. Lucifer groaned with despair.

This was yet another facet of his punishment.

To squint and try to see with only two eyes while in his true form was disorienting and headache inducing. The area around him was painted only in dark, mortal tones, without the silvery filter of divinity- and only when he pulled his second pair of wings away from his face and wiped the blood from his eyes. It was awful, but Lucifer figured that it would only get worse when the sun rose and shone its light.

Gingerly he tested the wings on his back, extending them a little to get a scope of the damage. He cringed and tucked them back in as a bolt of pain shot through them. When he had tumbled through the air, unable to use even his wings due to the pain from Michael’s lightning, he had ended up hitting the ground at an awkward angle. His wings took the brunt of it- and were probably broken, considering the crooked set to them and how much they were throbbing. Dragging his wings away from his face again, Lucifer glanced back at the still smoking crater he had emerged from. It was certainly sizable, and scorched black. Some charred feathers lay at the bottom.

Yes, it was no wonder he ached as much as he did. It was a nasty fall.

Lucifer released a shaky sigh, glancing up at the sky before he caught himself. The Heavens were of no use to him now. He looked to the nearby woods instead, letting the sounds of life wash over him. Mortal life.

What a change.

Squaring his shoulders, Lucifer took a wobbling step. Then another, and another. The rhythm was difficult in his injured state, but he managed to stagger from the clearing to the woods with just two breaks to rest his face.

Lucifer had only walked the Earth a scant few times before, and he was not alone in that. None of the angels had ever had too much of a cause to leave Heaven. So now, fully immersed in the cacophony of plants, small buzzing creatures, and larger ones just out of sight, Lucifer couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. This was something completely different from the pristine order of his birthplace.

One of the tiny buzzing creatures flew past his uncovered face and Lucifer flinched backwards, second pair of wings protectively slamming back into place. After a few beats he grumbled with annoyance and tugged them away again.

It was frustrating not being able to see while in his true form, but he wouldn't be able to change his appearance until his second and third pairs of wings (as well as his face) had healed.

Lucifer flapped the smaller wings that were extended over his feet. Thanks to his screwed up landing, they were only bruised at most. That was a plus, if only a small one.

He managed to make it for another half hour or so, guided only by the moonlight, but his strength was rapidly dwindling. Soon, for the second time in the same day, Lucifer fell. His legs gave out beneath him and he crumpled to the ground with a pained grunt, thankfully landing on his front instead of his broken wings.

To be quite honest, Lucifer didn't think he could pick himself back up right then. And so he relaxed into the leaf litter on the forest floor, surrendering to unconsciousness soon after.

 

* * *

 

 

In the days that followed, Lucifer slowly began to heal and explore this new land he found himself in. After a week, the wounds on his face scarred over. His divine blood allowed him to heal quickly, thankfully, and thus he could hide his second and third pairs of wings. He made faster progress after that.

The creatures he encountered did not shy away when he carefully, peacefully approached them. Perhaps they sensed that he was not of this world- could smell it in his scent. Lucifer wanted to name them, but the only names he could think of were of God. (Michael, Gabriel, Azrael, Ramiel- that, and his own, but he wasn't that narcissistic. That was reserved for his creator.)

At night, Lucifer rested to allow for his first pair of wings to heal. He made sure to check that they were mending properly (and definitely _did not_ wish for Raphael’s ~~much needed~~ assistance). He was strong, he could tough this out.

 

* * *

 

The days became weeks. Lucifer wandered with no direction in mind, wanting only to get to know this new realm. (Reuniting with his other fallen was, of course, also a priority, but Lucifer was sure they were very apart in distance.) He could hardly wait until he was well enough to fly again. He had been stretching and testing his wings for a few days now; surely he would be capable soon.

But not quite as soon as he expected, as Lucifer found out when he tried to take off a few days later. It was far too painful to keep himself aloft for even a minute. However, he was able to figure out a much smarter idea when he, as he was walking, stumbled upon a nearby cliff.

That, he could definitely work with.

Preemptively stretching out his wings, Lucifer inhaled deeply. He was standing on the edge of the cliff, looking down at the ground below. It suddenly seemed much farther away, and he really didn't want to mangle his wings again. But he would be fine, surely. He just had to... Do it now, before he could frighten himself out of it.

Lucifer leapt off the edge. The air currents caught under his wings, and he gritted his teeth as he extended them even further to ease into a glide. Thankfully, the initial pain soon faded, and Lucifer banked gently to curve around a tall tree.

He was finally flying again.

Like a spark, optimism rekindled in his chest. Lucifer’s lips twitched and he flapped his wings, propelling himself forward. It barely hurt- he was okay. He would be okay.

 

* * *

 

A month later, Lucifer found himself arcing through the sky, savoring the feeling of freedom it brought. The open wounds on his true form remained scars rather than fading like injuries usually did, but his wings had made a complete recovery (even in regrowing the feathers he had lost). He was taking full advantage of it. The sky above was dotted with white clouds.

Tilting his wings up, Lucifer flapped hard to send himself speeding closer to a small, wisp of a cloud. He dipped a hand inside as he whizzed past, finding some entertainment in the way it got immediately soaked. Not a second later he had hurtled completely past. At the the speed he was going, the moisture on his skin quickly dried.

Lucifer dove, the wind rising around him to howl in his ears and rush through his feathers and hair. The high speed made his blood feel like it was singing- it was intense, exhilarating. Right before he hit the ground he extended his wings and quickly bounced back. It made him smile a bit. He could get used to a life like this-

A familiar yet long unheard sound jerked Lucifer out of his thoughts. _Angel song._ His heart climbed into his throat at the distant yet distinct tones- but abruptly his shock melted into relief when he recognized the voice. It belonged to one of the fallen: Arakiel, a virtue and one of the captains who helped him organize the rebellion.

Immediately Lucifer turned in the direction of her song. It was in a loud, plaintive ( _come to me/please answer)_ tone- clearly she was not singing for pleasure, but in hopes that someone would be drawn to her call. Lucifer opened his mouth and belted out his own ( _I'm here/where are you/find me)_ song, knowing it was louder and would travel farther than spoken word.

Arakiel’s song noticeably stuttered before renewing in vigor. Their voices met and melded and Lucifer flew faster, eyes scanning the ground.

Suddenly a deep brown and bronze colored streak shot up from the forest below. Arakiel whipped around in midair, wings frantically beating to keep herself aloft. She was still pouring out song, her tone now having turned desperate.

Instantly Lucifer shot towards her, not ceasing his loud song either. Neither of them had any motivation to stop their high speed, and in a few seconds they both collided, hands grappling for purchase on the other. Their wings clumsily knocked together and suddenly they were falling, but they couldn't bring themselves to care. Nothing would compare to the pain of falling from Heaven.

A breath later they slammed into the grass, though it hardly hurt. Arakiel let out a laugh when she regained her breath. Lucifer was even smiling. They picked themselves up into sitting positions, shaking the dirt out of their feathers.

“I was starting to think I wouldn't find anyone, let alone you, Lucifer,” Arakiel said, dark brown eyes glittering with newfound hope.

“You're the first I've found,” he answered. “This world is vast.” Arakiel sprung to her feet, and Lucifer stood as well. She bowed to him with a grin on her face.

“My commander.”

“Captain,” he replied, but didn't really fall into his old role- not quite yet. He was simply grateful not to be alone anymore. Arakiel straightened.

“Where are we headed? We must find the others again.” Lucifer mulled it over.

“I have been following the morning star.” He gestured towards the eastern horizon. “Your wings are healed?” She nodded, shifting her weight.

“The fall was...” She trailed off with a grimace and Lucifer nodded in agreement.

“But it's in the past now, Arakiel. Let us look to the future.” A smile tugged at her lips.

And so they took flight, soaring together towards the horizon.


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lucifer is crowned King of the Fallen Legion.

“Iofiel fell right before me,” Arakiel told Lucifer over the whistling of the wind as they flew side by side. “Perhaps that means she'll be close to us.” 

Iofiel. 

Lucifer’s trusted confidant and repeated lover. His mind had strayed to her many times after the fall, but he had resigned himself to a few years (at the very least) of separation from her. Though that was a blink of an eye in Heaven, Lucifer had already figured out that time ebbed and flowed differently here. It would feel like much longer. 

“You think so?” Lucifer eventually said, the gears in his brain already grinding. After a moment he continued, “We should take turns singing- calling them. That was the only way I found you.” Arakiel nodded.

“Good plan.” She parted her lips and let her voice ring out over the land below. Her tone was similar to before, full of longing ( _ come to us/find us _ )- but now it also held the stirrings of hope within it. Lucifer’s lips tugged up into a small smile. 

They banked together, adjusting their course slightly to follow the warm updraft of air they were coasting on. Lucifer’s eyes stayed on the ground.

 

* * *

 

This was how the two of them spent the next four days. They traded off roles -Arakiel sang during the day, Lucifer during the night- and whoever wasn't singing focused all of their attention on the Earth below. Occasionally they landed to rest their wings, take short naps, and recover.

As it turned out, Arakiel had lost her halo too. (And, as a fallen virtue, she had also stopped producing the tiny flecks of golden dust -essences of life- that once fell from her feathers. She seemed to shrug it off and regard it as a price she was fine with paying, but inwardly Lucifer wasn’t so sure.) It was easier to cope with the loss of divinity when there was someone else to complain to, and it helped make their flights more bearable. 

And yet, even with the amount of distance they were covering in a day, Lucifer had to remind himself that this realm was finite yet incredibly massive. Heaven increased as needed, but this place was mortal, unchanging, constant. It was a bit overwhelming. However, that also meant it was perfectly feasible for them to have not encountered anyone else. They needed to have patience and determination.

Lucifer could hear Arakiel’s song waver somewhat. He knew it wasn't from physical strain; singing was in their blood, their flesh, their souls. They could keep it up at full volume for weeks upon weeks on this mortal world.

He glanced at Arakiel, and their eyes met. Her song turned apologetic, knowing he had noticed her weakness- but still beneath it were the first creepings of fear. Lucifer easily understood her worries despite the lack of words.

_ What if we never find anyone else? _

In reply, Lucifer opened his mouth and added his voice to hers, lending her his strength and his conviction.

_ We are better than fear.  _

Their songs curled and blended together. Arakiel’s voice quickly rediscovered its energy with Lucifer’s support. She flashed him a grateful look and he dipped his head.

 

* * *

 

They flew for hours, singing together. Even Lucifer found it was easier with another voice; it was probably something in their blood. The sun was meandering towards the horizon behind them- it would be dark soon.

Lucifer was starting to think he wouldn't see the deep red of Iofiel’s feathers for years again. He kept searching the ground for any signs of scarlet, with no luck. It was basically useless.

Suddenly a third voice ( _ where are you/where are you/where are you)  _ burst into their harmony. Lucifer and Arakiel’s voices couldn't help but jump with surprise, and he nearly careened into her before righting himself. 

“Iofiel!” He gasped as her voice entwined with Arakiel’s. “Don't stop singing, Arakiel, we need to find her!” Lucifer dove towards the forest below and Arakiel followed eagerly. Iofiel’s voice swelled in volume, and suddenly she surged up from the trees on crimson wings. Her song faltered when she saw him. 

“Lucifer!” 

And oh, she was beautiful. Lucifer remained in a dive until he was right upon her, then he hooked an arm around her waist as he flared his wings up to stop himself. The momentum sent them spinning around, but instinctively the beating of their wings fell into time with each other, keeping them aloft without colliding. Neither of them could stop smiling. 

“My Iofiel,” he said, voice thick with relief. She cupped his cheek. 

“I missed you so much, Lucifer.” He leaned into her touch, eyes closing. “I thought we'd never find each other.”

“But we're here,” Lucifer replied, smiling. “We're here.” When he opened his eyes they were brighter than they had been in a long time. Iofiel grinned at him. 

They carefully disentangled, losing a bit of altitude in the process but quickly regaining it. Arakiel moved closer to them. 

“Have you seen anyone else?” She asked. Iofiel shook her head. 

“This Earth is so, so massive.” They nodded in agreement. “I think I could get used to it, though,” she continued, casting her gaze over the land beneath them. 

“It's a pleasant change from Heaven,” Lucifer remarked. 

Arakiel’s lips twitched. “I love the freedom of it!” With a powerful beat of her wings she shot higher in the air. Iofiel grinned and followed her. Lucifer watched the two of them frolic about, and soft smile tugged at his lips. 

Maybe the fall was worth it after all. 

 

* * *

 

 

Eventually, Lucifer and his fallen got used to the way time progressed in their new, mortal realm. As years passed, they kept finding each other- and most of them were still willing to follow their old commander. Lucifer himself started to fall back into his own role: the fearless defiant. Though some part of him (and sometimes all of him) missed Heaven and the Host, he knew he could not, would not return- even if Michael himself begged. 

Soon enough, they had a legion- albeit a much smaller and more ragged one than any of them liked. It was horrific yet somehow pleasing for Lucifer to see the brand on each of their collar bones, permanently marking them as loyal to him. He could only wonder what the fallen themselves thought about it- some were proud to wear it, sure, but others...

Regardless, they stuck together in this foreign environment. They did not settle down, instead preferring to fly in the direction of the morning star. It was a dual effort: not only were they searching for more of the fallen, they were also trying to explore and understand this strange Earth. 

They sang constantly. It bolstered all of their spirits when they joined their voices (and, though no one dared speak it aloud, it was also a reminder of home.) Their songs blended and harmonized with perfect equilibrium- even Lucifer’s. He may have been their leader, but he chose not to dominate. They deserved not to have a tyrant ruling over them. 

Iofiel flew just to his right, deep red primaries brushing his gray ones on occasion. It was lovely to glide with her, warm thermals rustling their hair as they headed for the horizon. This,  _ this _ was freedom. He wouldn't trade it for anything. 

 

* * *

 

 

A year later, Lucifer and his fallen legion were resting in the branches of trees in a thick forest one evening when a captain named Azazel detected footsteps. He sang a short staccato burst of low notes ( _ alert/look/caution/danger)-  _ a quiet but noticeable alarm. Immediately they all tensed, shifting to hunting crouches and searching the dimly lit forest with narrowed eyes. Unable to summon their holy weapons or holy fire anymore, all they could do was prepare to conjure lightning or Earthen fire. 

Lucifer looked around suspiciously and his feathers ruffled. He risked a glance to Iofiel, who was perched a few branches below him in the same tree. Sensing his eyes, Iofiel looked at him. Her lips were pressed in a thin line. 

“Brothers, sisters!” The light yet strong voice of Uriel rang through the trees. Lucifer's fingers curled tightly into the bark of the branch he was gripping. 

“We mean you no harm!” Came the gentle voice of Raphael. The two archangels strode out onto the forest floor beneath them, with a silent third member of their group watching their backs: Raguel, archangel of justice. Though none of them held any weapons, Raguel was clearly ready to summon hers. 

“What is your business, then?” Lucifer demanded. The archangels turned towards him, eyes settling on him. They had only their first pairs of wings out- perhaps in an effort to seem like they were on equal levels with the blinded fallen. 

“We came to offer you redemption,” Raguel answered, gaze unflinching. A ripple went through the fallen legion as they shifted with surprise and their feathers ruffled even more. Lucifer held Raguel’s stare while his fallen glanced between him and the archangels. 

The darkening forest was silent, simmering with anticipation. Even Lucifer hesitated on what to say- though he kept his face schooled in a cool mask. Some naive part of him yearned to take Raguel’s offer, to take his place among the Heavenly Host once more...

Lucifer's lips curled into a sneer. 

“You disgust me with how  _ pathetic _ you are.” At his words, the fallen’s shock and uncertainty twisted back into familiar hatred and defiance. Lucifer was -as he always had been- their guide and leader, and his reaction was a reassuring cue. 

Lucifer flared his wings up in a furious display as he let his rage smother all of the other emotions whirling in his chest. 

“You come crawling back to us, thinking we're so easily swayed!” Uriel sighed. 

“We simply wished to-” She began, but Lucifer cut her off. 

“No. We refuse to kneel to Heaven ever again!” Though Raguel’s feathers ruffled, the other two archangels only traded glances. 

“Lucifer, try and be reasonable,” Raphael said, looking weary. 

“ _ You _ are the ones who are not making sense.” Lightning crackled in Lucifer's free hand. “Now begone, or we will rend you limb from limb!” At Lucifer’s signal, the rest of the fallen’s lightning sparked to life. Raguel’s sword and shield manifested in her hands, and Raphael drew his daggers. 

“Peace, brothers and sisters!” Uriel snapped. “Peace!” She raised her hands in a placating manner, folding her wings close to her back in a gesture to show she meant no harm. 

The forest was silent aside from the snapping of electricity. Fallen and archangel stared at each other warily. 

“We will go without conflict,” Uriel said. 

“Now,” Lucifer added, glaring. Uriel spread her shimmering brown wings, and after a beat Raphael and Raguel spread their own. 

“Perhaps your answer will change in a few centuries,” Raguel said before jumping into the air. The other two archangels did the same, and soon they were climbing higher into the sky. 

Azazel caught Lucifer’s eye from where he was perched in a nearby tree. Lightning was still cradled in his palms. He raised his hands in the direction of the retreating archangels and cocked a brow, clearly asking for permission. 

Lucifer shook his head. While his main priority was to avoid bringing the vengeance of the Host down upon his vastly outnumbered legion, some small part of him felt...merciful. 

Even though he had never been an archangel (simply the Lightbringer instead, despite being the second eldest), he still had a close bond with them. The eight of them could create such lovely music...

Lucifer gritted his teeth. That was  _ not  _ the type of thinking he should be having. He was Lucifer: commander and leader of the fallen, an angel no longer. If he and his rebellion were going to survive in the long term, he needed to completely sever ties with Heaven- and so did his brethren.

“My fallen!” Lucifer boomed, sudden passion bursting in his chest. His soldiers all turned to look at him with rapt attention. 

“If any of you considered returning to Heaven for more than a second, leave at once!” His blue eyes raked over the others critically. “I will not allow dead, sentimental weight to drag us down!” The fallen shifted uneasily, glancing at one another. No dared take flight, even if they had entertained the notion of redemption. 

Lucifer spread his wings wide. “Your loyalty needs to with your other fallen. Our lives depend on it.” The fallen began to nod as conviction formed on their faces. A grin tugged at Azazel’s lips. 

Lucifer stood, one hand gripping a nearby branch for balance. His eyes practically glowed with intensity in the fading light of the evening. 

“My fallen, your loyalty needs to be with  _ me _ .” The legion was silent, hanging onto his every word and watching him with something like awe. Then one of his soldiers broke the silence. 

“Hail Lucifer!” Iofiel called. Lucifer looked down at her and she held his stare, eyes fervent with certainty. 

He smiled, and it was a dangerous, beautiful thing. 

Arakiel took up the yell. “Hail Lucifer!” Azazel was the next to join, and soon the cry grew into a zealous roar as all of the fallen raised their voices. Lucifer bared his teeth in a wicked grin. 

“We will turn the Heavens to ash and bone!” He thundered, slamming his fist into the bark of the tree. His fallen howled their support, shattering the quiet of the forest. Faint rustles could be heard as creatures fled from the snarls and screams. Lucifer looked up at the dark sky through the leaves overhead. 

“If God can be a king, then why can't I?” He challenged. “I am just as great as He is!” The fallen cheered and Lucifer's eyes sparked. 

“Is it not so that you are happy to have me lead you?” When met with no denial, he continued, “Would you have me as your king?”

“Hail King Lucifer!” Iofiel declared, raising her fist. Her dark eyes were bright with passion.

“King Lucifer!” Azazel echoed. The fallen chorused his words. Lucifer raised his chin, a snake like smile creeping onto his lips. 

Slowly but surely, he was clawing his way up from subservience to dominance. He knew now that the fall was definitely worth it; it was the first step down the path that had now made him a king. 

He had no regrets. 


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the fallen legion discovers the Garden of Eden and its inhabitants.

In the years that followed, Lucifer came to realize that he quite enjoyed the status of king. His fallen remained willing (and if anything became more eager) to serve him. 

In recent years, they had established a sphere of influence- their own kingdom. Lucifer usually held court high on a mountain that overlooked their surroundings, while small groups of fallen headed by a superior spread throughout their territory to maintain control and keep watch for angels. 

They stopped singing as much as they once did, only using it for communication rather than pleasure. After that night in the forest -Lucifer's coronation, per se- the fallen were ready to determine their own existence and embrace their new lives. They took what they wanted from the Earth, bickered, squabbled, fought amongst themselves, and made love freely without the ties of bonding. (In fact, it soon became less about love and more about desire, the hunger to rut and lose themselves in pleasure.)

If this new life of theirs was sin, then holiness was something they were grateful to have left behind.

 

* * *

 

 

“King Lucifer!” Came the voice of Zaqiel, an ophan with shimmering black wings. Lucifer, who had been conversing with Iofiel (now appointed general of the fallen, answering only to him), turned to face the lieutenant. Zaqiel’s hair was tousled and windswept, and he was panting from exertion. 

“I bring news from Captain Azazel!” Lucifer and Iofiel perked. The fact that Azazel, a cherub, had sent his own ophan and lieutenant to deliver the news meant it was urgent.

“Tell us,” Lucifer ordered, though he got the feeling he wasn't going to be pleased. Zaqiel was in too much of a rush for that. 

“There has been a large concentration of angels in the river lands just south of our kingdom. All seven archangels have been sighted!” Iofiel growled. Lucifer's mind was already going a mile a minute, calculating odds and strategies. 

“Any insight on their intentions?” Zaqiel readjusted his wings. 

“They do not seem to be preparing for an invasion; rather, it's like they're fortifying an area. We do not know what for.” Feathers ruffling, Lucifer ran a hand through his hair. 

“Iofiel, take a squadron and follow Zaqiel to Azazel’s camp. Glean what information you can, then send a soldier to inform me. It is important that we are not out together, so the angels cannot fracture our legion.” Iofiel nodded, bowing to him before leaping into the air. Zaqiel bowed as well before quickly following. 

Lucifer heaved a sigh. Whatever the angels were planning, it couldn't be good. 

 

* * *

 

 

“They call it Eden. The Garden of Eden.” The soldier briefing Lucifer looked uneasy. “It is to be a home for a new creation of Father's. An important one, considering how difficult it was to find information about it.” Lucifer rubbed his face. 

“So they are not planning an invasion?” The soldier shook his head. 

“Not to our knowledge.” Luckily for them, the Host was generally quite blatant in their intentions. Lucifer sang a burst of high notes- a summons that doubtlessly traveled farther than a shout ever could. Exael, the captain who was temporarily stationed at their mountain swiftly landed before them.

“Yes, my king?” 

“I am going to the south border. I will send Iofiel back soon, but until then, keep peace.” It was an ironic order to the rather hot-headed fallen, but Lucifer knew he could manage it. Exael nodded. Lucifer then turned to the messenger.

“Take me to this Garden. I would like to see it for myself.”

 

* * *

 

 

Flying at the highest sustainable speed, it still took the rest of the day and part of the night to reach the southern border. Lucifer’s guide led him to a thick copse of trees where Iofiel, Azazel, and their squadrons had landed. It was difficult to fly with such dense forest, so they were forced to hide their wings and walk. 

Lucifer could hear the murmurings of his fallen before he saw them. The soldier with him sang a soft trill of greeting so as not to startle them, and then they pushed through the undergrowth. 

The fallen jerked up from their relaxed positions around a massive tree when they noticed Lucifer. He waved them down and they settled back, wings hidden as well due to the dense greenery.

“King Lucifer!” Came Azazel’s voice from above. He looked up, registering first the white of Azazel’s feathers, then the deep red of Iofiel’s. The two were perched in the branches of the tall tree the fallen were clustered around. (Their orientation made sense now: they were guarding their superiors. Good on them.)

Even without his wings, it was easy enough to scale the tree until he was level with the two of them. They were clearly plotting.

“Tell me of the Garden,” Lucifer said. 

“It is well defended by the Host,” Azazel answered. “However, we have learned it lies between the two rivers just south of us. It is a bountiful place- whatever Father intends for the Garden, it will be well taken care of.”

“Unless we do something about it,” Iofiel added. 

“Indeed.” Lucifer's eyes flickered with intrigue.

“For now, I recommend we watch and wait,” Azazel said. “Perhaps once the new creation is settled in the Garden, the Host will relax their guard.”

“Good plan, Captain.” Lucifer then glanced at Iofiel. She had a steely expression on her face. 

“Iofiel, gather your squadron, but leave half of them here with Azazel. Take the rest of them back to the mountain.” She nodded, bowed as well as one could up in a tree, then swung down to the ground below. 

To Azazel, he instructed, “Keep an eye on the Garden, and send a messenger when you have news.  Be careful.” Azazel dipped his head. 

“Yes, my king.” Below, they could hear Iofiel dividing the troops. Lucifer dropped down to the earth beneath them, nodding to his general and the other fallen before weaving through the underbrush. There was work to be done. 

 

* * *

 

 

It was two weeks before a soldier brought word to Lucifer that new life was breathing in the Garden. He followed the fallen at breakneck speed until he met Azazel in a tree near the border of the Garden. He looked tense. 

“There is a type of barrier around Eden,” he reported, pristine white feathers ruffling irritably. “Holy energy. It reacts against us now.” Unsurprised, Lucifer frowned. 

“Where does it start?”

“Just beyond the trees.” Azazel gestured in the direction of the edge of the forest. Lucifer jumped from the tree branch they were balancing on, gliding towards the clearing. He landed just as he broke through the foliage. Bright sunlight warmed his skin. 

Walking forward, he stretched out a hand. He made it about halfway across the meadow. Nothing so far-

Energy so cold it burned zapped his hand. Lucifer yelped, jerking back and yanking his hand to his chest. His eyes narrowed with indignation. 

He had defied the creator of the universe, slain His zealots, crossed blades with the Archangel, and lit the Heavens ablaze. One simple shield was  _ not _ going to stop him. 

Gritting his teeth, Lucifer shoved his hand back over the invisible line. Searing chill numbed his hand after little more than a second. Growling, he lunged forward. 

The next thing he knew, he was being blasted back through the air. He landed awkwardly, wings squishing beneath him. Lucifer swore. 

He got to his feet, shaking his wings to dislodge the bits of grass sticking to his feathers. Plant matter rained from his hair as he combed his fingers through it. 

Lucifer harrumphed. Brute force clearly wasn't the answer here. Especially since the creation was so new- perhaps, as Azazel had originally suggested, security would decrease over time. Lucifer spread his wings as he began to run, leaping into the air to head back to Azazel’s tree. (Luckily, he was too deep in the woods to have seen his failed attempt.) When he landed on a branch above Azazel’s, the captain cocked his head. 

“Any luck?”

“No.” Azazel sighed. Then he tapped his head. 

“You have a flower in your hair.” Lucifer grumbled and brushed the yellow blossom away. 

“The barrier is strong, but we will conquer it eventually. Time is on our side.” Azazel nodded. 

“I look forward to getting my hands on this new beast,” Lucifer continued, fingers curling into claws. “Tragedy will befall it in time, and  _ oh _ , will it be sweet.”

 

* * *

 

 

A month later, Lucifer was standing in the meadow on the edge of Eden, gazing at the Garden beyond. He knew better than to test the holy energies again, so he simply observed the lush plant life and multicolored birds flitting about. A soft breeze rustled his feathers and hair. 

Heaving a sigh, he spread his wings. He was about to take flight when he noticed the undergrowth rattle. He paid little mind to it, assuming it was a deer or something of the like. 

Then a face poked out from a bush. Lucifer started, nearly summoning a bolt of lightning before he registered that the face was  _ unfamiliar _ . 

Which, frankly, was impossible. Lucifer (along with all of the other angels and fallen) knew each and every one of his siblings, and could picture all of their faces (and hands, bodies, feathers) clearly in his mind. This male was none of them. 

The stranger crept out of the plants shielding him. He was unclothed, with deep tan skin, dark hair, and dark eyes. His wings were hidden. His stare met Lucifer’s, and he cocked his head slightly. 

Now things were even more peculiar.  _ Surely  _ this unfamiliar being recognized him- everyone did.

“What are you doing, angel?” The stranger called in an amiable tone. Lucifer blinked. He opened his mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Angel? 

“I've never met you before. What is your name?” The male asked, stepping closer. When Lucifer didn't immediately reply, he added, “Mine is Adam.”

Adam. Not of God-  _ man.  _ This revelation, coupled with the innocence and naïveté in Adam’s eyes, finally made Lucifer understand. 

_ This _ was the new creation. 

The man came even closer, but still not nearly enough to be struck down. Lucifer could remedy that. 

“Why don't you walk closer?” His tone was sweet, covered in honey. Adam looked like he was about to do just that when another voice cut through the air. 

“Adam!” Ramiel hurried out from the trees, blue feathers flashing in the sunlight. The man immediately turned to her and smiled. Lucifer scowled. 

“Come back to the grove,” the archangel said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It's not as safe here at the edge of the Garden.”

“Why?” Adam immediately questioned. 

“Because of  _ him _ .” Ramiel met Lucifer’s narrowed eyes unflinchingly. He glared back. 

“Come, let us return.” With a gentle nudge, she guided the man back into the trees. Adam took one last look at him before ducking out of sight. 

Lucifer's wings flared with rage.  _ This _ was God’s new creation? A dumb, flightless mockery of perfection? Such a thing hardly deserved life, let alone such favor!

With a snarl, Lucifer shot a bolt of lightning at the invisible barrier. The electricity hit it with a deafening crack. Sparks rained down over his head, but the heat didn't matter. Earthen fire flared to life in his palms, and he blasted a gout of it at the shield as well. Unsurprisingly, it only bounced off, some of it dissipating and some of it tumbling to the ground. It quickly caught on the grass, but Lucifer hardly cared. 

“Let it all burn!” He hissed aloud, then took to the sky and never looked back. The scent of smoke that followed him was surprisingly satisfying, and it stuck with him even after he had left the Garden far behind. 

 

* * *

 

 

The fallen were just as surprised as he when they learned of Adam’s existence. Lucifer saw similar expressions of indignation and anger on their faces, and the same curl of disgust on their lips. Curses were exclaimed and roared, and once again Lucifer found he was so very proud of his soldiers. 

All they needed to do now was choke the life out of that animal. 

 

* * *

 

 

But the opportunity never presented itself again. The angels must have tightened their watch on Adam, and as such never let him get anywhere where Lucifer might be able to get a hold on him. It made him want to tear his hair out in frustration. 

Some time after Lucifer's first encounter with Adam, he received word from Azazel that they had detected a second beast of Adam’s making. This one, however, was female; the fallen had heard her peals of laughter and her higher voice. They had yet to actually see her, but if her curiosity was anything like Adam’s, she would creep to the border of Eden eventually. The Host, however vigilant, would slip sooner or later. 

In anticipation of this moment, Lucifer had again relocated to Azazel's camp. (While the location changed every so often, it remained in a general area and was easy enough to find with song.) 

Currently he and Azazel were cradled in the branches of a tree just at the edge of the forest. Azazel had all of his divine features revealed (though thankfully he had diminished his size to that of a normal angel for fear of breaking the branches.) While a tad conspicuous with Azazel in his true form -four heads, four wings speckled with blinded divine eyes, bright white feathers and all- their perch was a perfect vantage point overlooking the meadow and the Garden beyond. 

“It's unsurprising that Father created a mate for Adam,” Azazel mused, as his eagle head casually preened the mane of his lion head with its beak. “They are mortal beasts, after all. Of course they have reproductive instincts.” Lucifer nodded in agreement even as his nose wrinkled.

“Filthy animals. To think God treasures them!” He hissed. 

“They pale in comparison to us,” Azazel concurred, and gave a dismissive snort with his ox head. After a moment, Lucifer sighed and rubbed his face. While technically he didn't have to be here on the border of Eden, waiting for a possible sighting of Adam or the female, Lucifer felt like he needed to be here watching. (Maybe he was obsessed. He didn't care. All that mattered was breaking his Father’s new playthings.)

The whole thing was starting to bore him, though. He let his head thunk back against the trunk of the tree, gazing up at the verdant leaves above. Flecks of sunlight shone through as the wind blew the branches side to side. A long moment of quiet ticked by. 

Still looking up, Lucifer opened his mouth and let a melody pour from his lips. Azazel, resting on a branch nearby that was just higher than his, perked up slightly. Lucifer's voice grew and arced, spinning through the air and Azazel, whether by giving into temptation or reacting on instinct, raised his voice to harmonize with him. Their song melded together and rang out across the meadow. 

Neither of them smiled, and neither of them looked at the other, but their shared guilty pleasure was evident in how eagerly their voices blended and leapt as one. Lucifer had meant to keep it quiet, but that was already a lost cause. (He blamed their instincts.) He let his eyes drift closed and his mind wander, relaxing into the bliss of the moment. 

After a little less than half an hour, Azazel's harmony broke away from his melody, abruptly twisting into a song of warning. Lucifer's eyes flew open, scanning their immediate surroundings. His voice softened and lightened, letting Azazel's lead. 

His melody was a distinct ( _ look/warning/careful/slow/look _ ) _.  _ Lucifer glanced to the captain, who gestured towards the Garden with the beak of his eagle head. 

An unfamiliar, feminine beast was staring at them with unashamed curiosity. After a beat of shocked hesitation, Lucifer's voice renewed in vigor ( _ don't stop/sing/coax/convince) _ . Azazel's song hung in suspension with his before resolving and melting back into harmony. The female noticeably shivered. 

Like Adam, her bare skin was a sun-kissed bronze and her eyes were dark. However, the wavy hair cascading from her head was brown with lighter, subtle highlights that reminded him of woven gold. She was as beautiful as any angel. 

Lucifer's voice soared and the female’s lips parted with awe and wonder. He spread his wings and sang a trill of notes to Azazel ( _ stay/watch/warn _ ) before leaping from the tree. He glided over to the meadow, landing on the patch of charred grass that now marked the border of the Garden. Unafraid, the female walked closer. She was smiling, deep brown eyes glittering. 

Azazel's voice dropped off, leaving Lucifer's alone. His voice sinuously twirled and jumped as she took another step closer. The wind stirred her hair. As his voice eventually slowed and softened, the female reached out with an inquisitive hand. Lucifer fell silent. 

The two stared at each other for a moment that felt like eternity. Then she let her hand drop. 

“That was beautiful,” she said, smiling. Her voice was sweet and luxurious, one that lingered in ears long after it fell silent. 

“Thank you,” Lucifer replied, dipping his head graciously. 

“I so love it when angels sing. I wish I could do it like you.” But she never would, for she was...

“What is your name?” Lucifer inquired. 

“Lilith,” she answered, and flashed him a pretty smile. 

“I am pleased to meet you at last, Lilith. Your beauty is astounding.” She visibly preened under his remark, fiddling with a strand of her hair.

“You're Lucifer, aren't you?” He had no choice but to nod and hope she didn't run screaming. 

“Yes, I am. Does that scare you?” Lilith shook her head. 

“The angels warned me of you, and told me you were dangerous. But I'm not afraid, because you can't enter the Garden.” Her tone was matter of fact. Lucifer chuckled, feathers remaining smooth. She was a brave, clever little thing.

“You're right about that.” Lilith took a step closer to the border before sitting down on the ground. Sunlight shone on her naked skin and made her hair gleam. She studied him with unabashed curiosity. 

“Why are you here, Lucifer?” He shrugged, settling down on the blackened grass across from her. 

“You and Adam intrigue me. You are the first...” He trailed off, gesturing vaguely with one hand. 

“Humans,” Lilith supplied with obvious pride. “We're humans.”

“Humans,” Lucifer echoed, trying the word on his tongue. How strange it was to him.

Lilith tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder. “We're the pride and joy of God Almighty.”

“Do you really believe that?” Lucifer said immediately, without really thinking about it. Lilith blinked. 

“I...yes, I do. Why wouldn't we be?” Lucifer's eyes turned steely, the brief moment of considering Lilith anything but lesser dissolving. 

“If God truly favored you,  he wouldn't have made you a weaker, flightless, songless version of us.” Seeing Lilith’s bewilderment, his expression softened a touch. 

“You're just a lesser, submissive replacement for my fallen and I, designed to duck your head and obey no matter what.” His tone was gentler but remained steady, like how one would deliver tragic news. 

“That's not true,” Lilith said after a moment’s hesitation. 

“You think it isn't?” Lucifer replied, voice colored with feigned pity. She frowned. 

Honestly, this was too easy. Lilith’s innocence was his greatest asset, and he planned to exploit it as much  as he could. Lucifer watched as she glanced back towards the heart of the Garden. 

“Adam tells me I should yield to him,” she murmured, not turning. “He says it's the natural way.” There it was. 

“Why should you be considered any less than him?” Lucifer questioned, a new plan formulating in his head. Perhaps, rather than killing both humans, he could convince Lilith to "fall". Wouldn't that be an even sweeter revenge?   
Lilith looked down, playing with a blade of grass. “I don't think I should.”

_ Perfect.  _ But before Lucifer could speak further, a deep voice broke the silence.

“Lilith?” Low, staccato notes burst from Azazel's tree ( _ alert/warning/caution _ ) and Lucifer jerked to his feet.

“It's Adam,” Lilith hissed. “Go quickly before he sees you!” He turned on his heel and spread his wings as he began to sprint. With a powerful flap he shot into the air, hurriedly gaining altitude to avoid Adam’s notice. Wind roared in his ears. 

Only once he was level with the clouds did he slow. His chest heaved as he panted and leveled out into a glide. That was close- Adam surely would have told the angels if he had seen him. But, to think Lilith warned him! She was already on his side. 

A minute or two later, Azazel's song echoed to him ( _ where are you? _ ). Lucifer replied with a high note that came out a little shaky due to his labored breathing. The fallen cherub quickly zeroed in on him and flew over. The two of them turned back in the direction of the camp, wingtips close to brushing.

“How did it go?” Azazel asked. 

“Better than expected. I have a new plan.” He then explained the conversation he and Lilith had, and the idea it had given him. Azazel looked enthusiastic. 

“That will be perfect. You said she looked receptive?” Lucifer nodded. 

“I think- updraft on my left,” he said, interrupting himself. Azazel followed him as he adjusted his flight path so they could coast on the warm thermal.

“I think I can get her to revolt,” he began again, “especially since Adam -in a predictably animal way- assumes she should be submissive to him.”

“Typical,” Azazel commented with a derisive snort, then continued, “at least it will serve to our advantage.”

Soon enough, they were approaching Azazel's camp. The pair tucked their wings close to their backs and dove. Lucifer's mind was whirling faster than the wind blowing in their ears. 

He was ready to start taking his revenge.

 

* * *

 

 

Lucifer laid low for a day before finding his way back to the border of Eden. To his pleasant surprise, Lilith was already waiting for him. He could hear her humming as she fiddled with a pink flower. 

She looked up when Lucifer landed before her. They were far closer than they were yesterday- perhaps she was starting to trust him?

“Hello again, Lilith.”

“Hello, Lucifer.” She picked a piece of grass and twirled it around her finger. “I've been thinking about what you said to me.” Lucifer sat, watching her intently. This could be it.

“And?” Her expression hardened, and she tore the blade of grass apart.

“I won't allow it.” Lucifer smiled, pleased that she could come to that conclusion with only a bit of prodding on his part. 

“You should tell him such.”

“Are you pleased?” Lilith said instead, looking to him. His smile widened, showing teeth. 

“Most definitely. You deserve so much more than Adam is willing to give you.” Her lips twitched for a moment, but then her expression dimmed. 

“What if he refuses, Lucifer? How do I make him believe me?” He mulled it over, tilting his head. Instructing her to harm or even kill Adam this early on would be too much too soon, unfortunately. Instead... exile would suffice, just as he had been exiled from Heaven. 

“Be firm with him, and if not, leave.” Her eyes widened. 

“Leave the Garden? I-” Her mouth worked, but nothing came out as she tried to fathom such a thing. “I can't!”

“You can't, or you won't?” Lucifer's gaze hardened. “Have courage, Lilith. Eden is just a tiny part of a far larger world. Don't you want to see it?” She stared at him for a long moment, frowning slightly. Then she got to her feet. 

“I should go.” Lucifer sighed inwardly. Had he ruined it?

“Remember what I told you, Lilith.” She didn't reply. After a brief hesitation, she turned and flitted back into the trees. She didn't look back. 

Lucifer muttered a curse. For all he knew, she was going to find the nearest archangel and tell them everything. Perhaps it was best to go ahead and retreat. 

Lucifer got to his feet, stretching his wings. All he could do now was wait and hope for the best. 


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the fallen legion gains a new member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is a short sex scene at the end.

The rest of that day and the next were tense. Lucifer had explained to Azazel what had happened, and Zaqiel had relayed the information back to Iofiel, who was holding down the fort at the mountain. She was equally as concerned about the whole thing- but again, there was nothing they could do. 

Nothing, that is, until Lucifer picked up on the sounds of Lilith yelling. He jerked to attention, nearly toppling out of the usual tree he kept watch in. Lilith stormed out of the undergrowth and into the meadow, Adam hot on her tail. She looked incensed.

“Lilith!” Adam called, looking rather helpless.

“Enough, Adam!” She snarled over her shoulder. When she approached the border, Adam hesitated. 

“You don’t know what you’re doing!” He insisted.

“And you  _ do _ ?” Her eyes blazed. “ _ You _ do not know what is best for me. I do!” Then, to prove her point, she thrust her fist into the holy barrier guarding Eden. The shield rippled into visibility; it was a shimmering white, like morning sunbeams. She hit it again, and light flashed and sparks flew as cracks began to creep across the translucent barrier. Lilith appeared unaffected aside from squinting against the light. 

Clearly this barrier was not designed to withstand human assault. The archangels hadn't planned for it. Adam ran forward to try and grab her, but before he could she threw another punch. The cracks gave way, and a massive hole shattered in the barrier. Lilith, nothing but a mortal beast, had broken holy energy manifested by the archangels themselves. He couldn't help but feel proud.

Tossing one last vindictive look at Adam, Lilith darted through the opening. When her feet touched the charred grass of the other side, Lucifer grinned.

“Lilith!” Adam yelled. An angel’s alarm call pierced the air, and her eyes widened. She broke into a run towards the forest. Adam only watched with horror, either too obedient or too afraid to pursue. Lucifer’s stare was yanked upwards when a pair of powers exploded from the Garden’s canopy, hurtling towards the escaped human and gaining quickly. They were clutching their blades with all four hands.

It was now or never.

Lucifer jumped from his tree, diving towards Lilith with the speed of a comet. She tried to slow when she saw him hurtling for her, but he was going faster than she could react. Lucifer let them slam together with brutal force. He was far too rushed to care about finesse. Lilith yelped with pain and terror as he grappled onto her and yanked her into the sky. Her hands clamped onto him, a strangled scream escaping and instantly getting stolen by the rushing wind. The ground was quickly receding beneath them.

“I’ve got you, I’ve got you,” Lucifer managed to get out as he powered them higher and higher. He could hear the angels singing to each other in sharp tones. Lilith shook in his arms- this was probably her first time flying. He adjusted his grip on her so she was safely cradled in his arms with no danger of falling.

_ Helpless little wingless creature _ , he found himself thinking for a split second before a ball of fire flew past him. Lilith shrieked and Lucifer dove to one side. Shrill high notes burst from his throat, though they were more like screams ( _ alert/help/to me/urgent/danger _ ). Lilith cringed at the volume, but Lucifer only flapped his wings harder and kept singing. He could hear the angels letting out calls for reinforcements as well. 

Azazel, distinct even from a distance in his true form, tore into the sky, his squadron following close behind. Their hands were sparking with electricity. Lucifer dove towards them and they surged forward to meet him. Lilith’s nails dug into his skin. 

Azazel vocalized a warning ( _ enemy behind/don’t stop/protect/we will fight _ ) and Lucifer pushed himself to an even greater speed. If Lilith was killed, all would be lost. 

A stream of fire blazed past them, close enough to singe his primaries. Lilith buried her face in his shoulder, whimpering. 

“Hold on,” Lucifer grunted, and just as she clung tighter to him he feinted to the left. A gout of fire followed, but before it hit them he corkscrewed to the right. Behind him he could hear the sound of angels clashing with fallen, Azazel roaring a challenge with his lion head. (Luckily, it didn’t sound like there were any archangels in the fight- anything else, Azazel could handle.) 

With the angels distracted, Lucifer hurtled down towards the forest. It would be easier to lose them in the cover of the trees. 

They tore through the canopy, leaves and branches scratching against them and catching on his wings and clothing. The tang of human blood reached his nose- Lilith was bleeding somewhere, but not enough to raise grave concern. Lucifer’s wing clipped a jagged branch. He cursed with pain as some feathers were ripped out. He flared his now stinging wings to drastically slow their descent, and touched down onto the forest floor without falling. 

Lucifer panted with exertion, chest heaving. Lilith was still quivering. 

“Alright?” He asked, looking down at her. Her hair was windswept and tangled. There was a long but shallow scratch in her arm, which was the source of the blood he had smelled.

“I’m okay,” she squeaked. Lucifer set her down on her feet. She wobbled a little but quickly regained her balance. The songs and shouts of angels and fallen echoed down to them through the trees. 

“What’s going to happen, Lucifer?” He didn’t reply at first, extending his injured wing to examine it. He had a few primaries missing, and was bleeding a bit from it. The long flight feathers that were still there were singed.  Damn.

“Lucifer?”

“We try and keep you from the Host,” he finally answered, tucking his wings close to his back. “I’m sure they’ll kill you if they find you again. You have seen too much.” Lilith gulped.

“That’s...not good,” she managed. 

“No,” he agreed. “But if we’re lucky, they’ll lose interest in you just as they did with me.” She nodded worriedly. 

Lucifer held out a hand, knowing she was having second thoughts. “Come, let’s find a better place to hide.” After a moment, she took his hand and followed him as he led her deeper into the forest. Her heart was in her throat- she was not ready to face death. She never would be, and Lucifer planned on exploiting her mortality as much as he could.

 

* * *

 

It was weeks before the angels gave up on trying to hunt down their escaped human. They eventually retreated back to the Garden, leaving Lilith to her own devices (much to Lucifer’s relief). She soon became a de facto member of the fallen legion, even though she was hardly a soldier and didn’t even have wings. 

Now with his hands on one of the two humans in existence, Lucifer had taken Lilith with him back to the mountain. She made quick friends with the fallen stationed there, becoming quite popular with all of them- including even Iofiel. The two of them got along famously, which Lucifer observed with great delight. Iofiel would often take her out flying (despite her small stature, she possessed great strength like the rest of them), and it was no surprise to hear Lilith’s delighted shrieks echo off the mountain. 

While she had speedily made herself part of the group, Lilith also found herself spending a lot of time with Lucifer. She observed the way he ran his legion with an amount of interest Lucifer didn’t expect. Soon, when the fallen came to him with reports, he could see her mind working as she came up with her own solutions- but she knew better than to ever suggest them. She was far smarter than she looked, and as such she understood that his authority was absolute.

One thing Lilith also enjoyed was listening to Lucifer’s songs, even though she couldn’t understand it like his fallen could. Lucifer found he quite liked the attention, awe, and reverence he received from her. It was like he was God himself, and she the adoring disciple. She would gaze at him with wonder for a remarkably long amount of time, completely enraptured by his voice. 

One evening, Lucifer even saw something that looked like innocent, naive love in her eyes. He was resting in the small cave he had made his own with Lilith next to him, reclining on the bed of soft grass he had woven. She was lying on her side, watching him as he sang. The cave’s acoustics allowed the notes he sang to linger after they came out, letting him harmonize with himself. 

Lucifer resolved the aching dissonance hanging in the air and Lilith shivered, gooseflesh rising on her bare skin. The way his music affected her was practically addictive. 

Still singing, Lucifer leaned closer to her. Her eyes were nearly glazed over, like she was hypnotized. He reached out, caressing her cheek with his knuckles. She leaned into his touch and her eyes fluttered closed. 

He could hardly help himself then. Lucifer cupped her face in her hands, kissing her softly. Lilith gasped against his lips, but clung to him immediately. His hand closed on her hip as she deepened the kiss. 

When they eventually broke away for air, Lilith was trembling slightly. He knew it wasn’t from fear.

“I am going to show you pleasure as you have never seen it,” Lucifer purred, sitting up and pulling her onto his lap.

“Please,” she whimpered, and kissed him again. He responded with a light nip to her lower lip, and one of her hands tangled into his silver curls. She bucked her hips against his. Lucifer growled, tightening his grip on her.

Eventually she broke away for air again, and Lucifer took this time to set her down next to him and yank off his clothing. Once he was as bare as her, he pulled her back to him just as swiftly. 

In short order, their hands were wandering. Lilith melted into his embrace as he touched her, quivering and hips jerking involuntarily. When he curled his fingers into her, she threw back her head and let out a sharp cry. The feeling of her spasming around his fingers was satisfying in itself. Lucifer gently stroked her through her unsurprisingly quick climax, holding her as she shook. He was quite pleased with himself.

Once she came down from her high, she let out a long breath.

“Ready for more?” Lucifer murmured, voice rough and gravelly. 

“I think I might die,” she replied, but kissed him again regardless. He chuckled against her lips. Her naïveté as well as her enthusiasm in this field was endearing. 

Lucifer found that under his tutelage Lilith took to giving pleasure as well as she received it. Her hand was clever when it closed around his length, especially when she took his teachings and improved on them. Lucifer cursed aloud.

_ What a coy little creature. _

“Enough,” Lucifer hissed before he lost himself. She moved her hand away from his member, smirking a little. Temptress.

“Come here,” he rumbled. Lilith eagerly climbed back onto his lap, grinding against his erection. 

“You know what you want, don't you?” He slipped a hand between them to guide himself to her entrance. 

“Yes,” she groaned. She was poised just centimeters above his tip.

“Come down onto me, slowly.” Lilith shifted a little, placing her hands on his shoulders to steady herself. 

“Fall for me, Lilith.”

She sank down onto him, whimpering with a mixture of pain and surprised pleasure. Lucifer groaned at the feeling of her tight, wet heat around him.

“Are you pleased?” Lilith gasped out, looking him in the eye. He met her stare evenly, eyes blazing with lust. 

“Very much.” Lilith smiled. She rocked her hips into the painful stretch and the pleasure that came with it. His nails dug into her skin. She was visibly aching for movement, whimpering and squirming, so Lucifer gladly acquiesced. He began to pull her with him, back and forth, creating a delicious friction. Lilith was only able to hold onto him and try her best to move in time with him. Anything else was beyond her, due to the pleasure and how deep he was reaching inside of her. Lucifer rested his forehead against her shoulder, moaning. 

Soon enough, their rhythm grew faster and more erratic. Their sounds echoed off the stone walls of the cave. Lucifer bit down on her neck. She cried out.

“How do you like sin, Lilith?” He rasped, bucking his hips up into her.

“I love it!” She was desperate at this point, needy enough to do anything. “I love it, Lucifer!” At her words, he let out a guttural snarl and climaxed into her. He shoved his hand between them to find the sweet spot she shared with female angels. Lilith shrieked and clenched around him like a vice as she followed him over the edge. The feeling of her tightening around him was too much, and Lucifer moaned at the overstimulation. All they could do was hold onto each other, hearts pounding.

A few easy, quiet minutes passed as their pulses slowed. Lucifer traced circles on her back as he softened within her. She hummed softly, nuzzling his shoulder.

“If this is sin, I never want to do anything else.” 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Lucifer’s lips twitched into a smirk when he felt Lilith grin into his shoulder.

“More than anything else.”


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lucifer plots.

While Azazel and his squadron (who had escaped from the battle with no life threatening injuries, thankfully) kept watch on the Garden from a new hiding place, Lucifer was taking some time to rest on his laurels. He had tempted Lilith into sin- there was no going back for her now. It was a reward in and of itself. She proved to be an eager and energetic little thing, and when she was not chatting or observing Lucifer, she was doubtlessly sleeping with someone. After her first night with Lucifer, she had expanded her sights to any of the fallen she liked, regardless of gender. (Lucifer found he really enjoyed watching.)

Though she knew without having to be told that she would never become a leader of any fallen due to her humanity, Lilith never ceased in learning all she could from Lucifer. He never taught her outright, but he didn’t mind her studying him. Her curiosity in leadership might come in handy in the future.

 

* * *

 

And, sure enough, the chance for Lilith to implement the knowledge she had absorbed came. About six cycles of the moon after Lilith had escaped the Garden, Zaqiel came to the mountain to deliver surprising news. Lucifer, however, was not there to receive it. He had chosen to go out for a fly, and was currently soaring amongst the clouds.

( _ Summons/Lucifer/news/important _ ) came the voice of Tamiel, one of the fallen stationed at the mountain. Lucifer flared his wings to slow his flight and turned, flapping his wings to hover more or less in place as Tamiel caught up with him. Her wings shone like gold in the sunlight. She looked worried. 

“What is it?” He asked once they were close enough for speech.

“Zaqiel brings news from the Garden,” she said. “It’s best you hear it from him.” Lucifer knew that didn’t portend to anything good. He nodded, and with Tamiel following closely he dove in the direction of the mountain. 

When he reached the alcove outside his cave where he usually met with the fallen in command, Lucifer was surprised to see Lilith discussing with them. Zaqiel, Iofiel, and all three of the captains were there. None of them looked happy.

Lucifer landed on the ledge, and the ring of fallen (and one human) parted to allow him entrance. He joined the circle, eyes going from one soldier to the next before finally settling on Zaqiel.

“What do you have for us this time, Lieutenant?” Zaqiel’s ink black feathers ruffled. 

“Adam has had a new female created for him.” Lilith’s face twisted into an even deeper scowl. Clearly she had already been told the news, and it still infuriated her. Lucifer bristled.

“Her name is Eve,” Zaqiel continued. “She stays very close to Adam.”

“We need to kill her!” Lilith snapped. This outburst made the fallen -even Lucifer- do a double take. Her eyes were fiery with hate, her hands clenched into fists. Apparently they were rubbing off on her more than they thought.

“ _ I _ should be the only woman! He doesn’t deserve another!” Lucifer’s brows furrowed as he thought.

“Lilith, it was hard enough to even speak with you. Now, after your escape, how would we be able to kill her?”

“I don’t know and I don’t care, Lucifer. I just want her  _ dead _ !”

Lucifer’s feathers ruffled with irritation. “Do not forget you are addressing your  _ king _ in such a manner!” He replied sharply, and she immediately took a step back. She needed to remember that  _ he _ held the authority here, even despite how special she was to the legion.

“Yes- yes, of course,” she said hurriedly. “I’m sorry.” He gave her a long, displeased look before nodding.

Arakiel pursed her lips as she thought. “The only way we would be able to get to her is if we have someone inside the Garden.”

Azazel perked. “Indeed. Would there be any chance of us being able to turn one of Eden’s guards to our side?” Lucifer nodded, intrigued. 

“I like this idea.” He turned to the one human in this council. “Lilith, do you know the names of any of the angels guarding Eden?” She nodded.

“All seven archangels have been there, but they don't stay for long. I only know a few other names.” She thought for a moment. “Metatron, Samael, Gadreel-”

“Wait,” Lucifer interrupted. “Gadreel. He was receptive to me back when I was fostering rebellion in Heaven.”

“Why didn't he fight with us, then?” Zaqiel inquired. 

“Because he was a coward!” Exael interjected. 

Lucifer nodded. “Exael is right- but I think I can work with him now.”

Azazel smirked. “We all look forward to it, my king.”

 

* * *

 

A simple plan was soon devised, thanks to Lucifer's council of fallen and one human. While some of his soldiers kept watch, Lucifer was going to sing for Gadreel. It was a risky gamble, and there were are a lot of things that could go wrong, but he was hoping that Gadreel’s insatiable curiosity would eventually win out. Once it did, Lucifer knew he could convince him to let him into the Garden. 

Knowing that the angels guarding Eden would be even more vigilant after Lilith, Lucifer took a squadron of his own fallen with him to Azazel’s camp to bolster his existing ranks. They arrived close to dawn. 

The sentry on duty perked when one of his soldiers sang a soft greeting. He nodded to Lucifer and the fallen accompanying him before fluttering down from his perch on a high branch. 

“We're just in the grove beyond. Azazel is sleeping under the big tree.” Lucifer nodded and led his squadron into the camp. 

Azazel’s soldiers looked up when they entered, before dipping their heads respectively to their king. Lucifer's eyes flickered around before he finally saw the captain. He was curled up near the thick trunk of a large tree in his simple divine form, wings slack and draped over his back. 

“We can wake him if you need him,” Zaqiel offered from where he was sitting with a few other fallen. Lucifer shook his head. 

“There is no urgency in the matters I wish to discuss with him. Let him rest.” Zaqiel nodded. 

“Is there anything else you require, my king?” 

“No. Thank you, Lieutenant.” Lucifer jumped up into a nearby tree, aided by a powerful flap of his wings. He settled in the crook of two branches, sighing softly. It wouldn't be long before the sun rose.

 

* * *

 

As the sky was starting to brighten, Azazel stirred. Lucifer glanced down and watched him raise his head, blinking slowly.

“King Lucifer is here,” a soldier told him, gesturing to where he was up in the branches. Azazel yawned and nodded, sitting up. He took a moment to stretch and shake the dew from his white feathers, then stood. 

“Anything wrong?” Azazel called to Lucifer as he began to climb up into the tree. 

“I simply wanted to talk strategy,” Lucifer replied. Azazel sat on a sturdy limb next to his, facing him. He rubbed his eyes. 

“We've had no further news from the Garden, correct?”

“Nothing.” Azazel didn't look too happy about that fact. Lucifer pinched his nose as he thought. The only sounds in the wood were the murmurings of the fallen and the breeze rustling leaves. 

“How many lookouts do you have on the Garden?” 

“Seven, stationed around the border. Far apart, but they can still sing messages in a relay.”

“How much do we know about the angels guarding Eden? Are there patrols, or do they simply keep their eyes on the humans?”

“It's a mixture of both, especially now after Lilith. From what we can tell, Gadreel spends most of his time on patrol.”

“Perfect.” Azazel nodded in agreement. He stretched his white wings before letting out a breath. 

“Are we going to kill Eve, or tempt her?” Lucifer shrugged. 

“I'm not sure yet. Time will tell.”

“Let's hope Lilith doesn't get  _ too _ jealous,” Azazel joked. Lucifer gave a snort of amusement.

“She has ideas above her station at the best of times.”

“Humans!” Azazel scoffed. He plucked a leaf from a nearby branch, fiddling with it. “She will learn in time.” 

Lucifer gazed up at the sky, which was now a soft pink color through the leaves. Everything was beautiful here, from the land they walked on to the creatures that inhabited it. He would never get used to the oceans and the dawn here on Earth- nor would he tire of the freedom this place provided. Lucifer closed his eyes, letting his head rest against the tree trunk.

 

* * *

 

Sometime later, when Lucifer finally zoned back into reality, Azazel was meticulously shredding his fifth leaf. He seemed to be dwelling on thoughts of his own. 

“I believe I should fly to the border soon and start singing for Gadreel.” Azazel blinked, eyes refocusing and turning to Lucifer. 

“My lookouts should be close enough to hear your song if you need anything.” He nodded. 

“Thank you, Azazel.” It was for more than just that assurance. 

“You are always welcome, my king.” He knew just what Lucifer meant.  They nodded to each other before Lucifer dropped down to the earth. It was time to begin. 


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Gadreel is faced with a dilemma.

Though Eden was a mortal paradise intended to be enjoyed by humans, Gadreel adored spending his time in the Garden. The actual man and woman inhabiting it were far less interesting than the plants, the animals, and the beautiful landscape. He was fascinated, utterly enamored with it.

As such, Gadreel was always delighted to patrol Eden’s borders. He loved to go off on his own and explore, to encourage plants to grow with a light dusting of the life essences from his wings.

Gadreel leapt from the tree he had been sitting in, extending his wings. The shower of life essence constantly falling from his wings dissipated before it could touch the ground. His bright white (and admittedly quite fluffy) feathers were a stark contrast to his deep, dark skin. They caught the sunlight and shone. He banked, curving towards the border and looking out for intruders.

...Not that there would be anyone. The fallen had practically disappeared into thin air after they absconded with Lilith. Thinking about it made Gadreel’s heart harden with determination. He would not let Adam _or_ Eve get stolen away. They were far too precious.

Gadreel let a strong song ( _I will protect/defend/guard_ ) pour out of his mouth, wanting his conviction to ring out over the land. It echoed far, and pride swelled in his chest.

At some point, though, Gadreel realized that a faint harmony was sliding against his melody and curling into it. His voice faltered.

_Lucifer?_

He turned in the direction of the second voice, his song softening but still instinctively coming. Now it was colored with confusion.

( _Summons/Gadreel/peace/talk?_ ) came Lucifer’s song. Gadreel fell silent and flared his wings up to slow his flight. There was no way he could actually go to him. He was _Lucifer_!

( _Peace/talk/Gadreel/harmless_ ).

What _did_ he want, though? They had never been too close in Heaven...what could he possibly want to tell _him?_

No, _no!_ Gadreel halted his flight, flapping his wings to stay in place. There was no way he could betray the Host like that. He needed to find an archangel, and fast.

Gadreel corkscrewed around and dove back towards the heart of the Garden, trying his best to ignore Lucifer's song. Eventually it faded, masked by the whistling of the wind.

As Gadreel approached the grove, however, a worrying thought came to him. What if the archangels didn't trust him to resist Lucifer?

What if he was sent back to Heaven?

Not that Heaven was in any way a miserable place, but it might become one if the archangels barred him from coming to Earth because they thought he might fall.

The doubts grew even more as Gadreel glided down into the grove. He shifted into his simple divine form so he didn’t cause the wildlife to grow too rapidly. He could hear Raphael singing with Gabriel nearby, simply for the pleasure of it. His throat ached to join them (it always did, as with each and every angel- to be in choir with one another was pure ecstasy), but he shoved the instinct down. He would end up blurting everything in his melody.

By the time his feet touched the forest floor, he had completely changed his mind- but by now the pair of archangels would have seen him with their divine eyes. Gadreel couldn't say the same, for he only had his first pair of wings out.

The song floating in the air paused.

“What troubles you, Gadreel?” Gabriel called through the undergrowth separating them. Gadreel prepared himself for the worst as he wove through the trees. Beyond them, Raphael and Gabriel were curled up together on the grass. Gabriel was absentmindedly preening the light grey feathers on Raphael’s first pair of wings. Flecks of sunlight filtered through the canopy overhead, speckling them with dots of light.

Gadreel shifted his weight. Neither archangel had turned their head towards him, but he knew that under the cover of their second pairs of wings, they were watching him with their divine eyes.

“Just a bit...lonely,” Gadreel finally answered.

“Come join us,” Raphael offered, voice gentle. Knowing that a refusal would be even more suspicious, Gadreel nodded. Gabriel gestured to the earth next to them and he walked over, sitting down.

“Come rest your head,” Raphael murmured, stretching his legs out and patting them. Gadreel hid his wings and laid back, head in Raphael's lap. Gabriel resumed preening Raphael's feathers, content to be quiet. Both archangels’ faces were still covered and still unreadable, and at the angle he was at Gadreel could barely even glean their body language from their feathers.

“Do you tire of the distant patrols, brother?” Gabriel asked.

“No!”  Gadreel replied immediately, worried they would get the wrong idea. Eden was his passion- he would never want to leave! Raphael chuckled, running his warm fingers through Gadreel's closely cropped black hair.

“I figured as much,” Gabriel said. “Why, then, are you lonely?” Gadreel shrugged noncommittally. He really wished he could morph to his true form so he could read the archangels’ expressions with his divine eyes, but to do so now would blatantly reveal his unease and worry at their thoughts.

“I don't know. I think I feel better now.” Raphael nodded. Hiding the truth like this left a sour taste in his mouth. He was betraying the archangels’ trust, maybe even helping Lucifer in the process. This was everything he had sworn against.

Gadreel screwed his eyes shut. Damn Lucifer for doing this to him! He adored Eden, and now with the fallen’s meddling his place here was being jeopardized.

“Gadreel...” Raphael began, stroking his cheek with his thumb. He opened his eyes.

“Something else is troubling you. What is wrong?”

_So much._

“I don’t want to leave Eden,” Gadreel blurted. The half-truth made him feel at least a little bit better.

“Don’t worry, brother. We all know how precious this place is to you. Your fervor when you protect its borders is unmatched.” Gadreel relaxed a little.

“Here,” Raphael continued, nudging him to prompt him to sit up. He did so.

“Reveal your wings. Let me soothe you.” Gadreel gave a small nod, turning a bit so he could reveal them without hitting either archangel. Raphael took his left wing in his hands, beginning to groom his fluffed up feathers. They were devoid of any essences, since he was only in his simple divine form. Gabriel moved closer to mirror Raphael’s movements.

Gadreel swallowed thickly. They were being so _kind_ to him.

Then Raphael started to hum. Gabriel soon joined him with a harmony that reverberated in the air. Immediately, instinctively, Gadreel felt his muscles relax. He let his head drop and closed his eyes, sighing quietly. Soon, though, the initial pleasure gave way to the guilt eating away at him. He didn’t deserve this.

And, as much as he tried to tell himself otherwise... He was curious about what Lucifer wanted to say to him. He had picked him for a reason, and he wanted to know why. Was that a sin? Surely it must be.

The only problem was that now he suddenly wanted to give in to temptation.

 

* * *

 

 

“I don’t think he’ll do it, Lucifer.” Azazel shifted his weight, looking to where his king was sitting. Lucifer was leaning his head into his hand, pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought.

“He will, Azazel.” Lucifer didn’t even look up.

“You’re sure?” The king nodded.

“It will only be a matter of time, and I am nothing but patient.”

 

* * *

 

The next day, Gadreel found himself at the very top of a tall tree near the border of Eden, staring out at the wild lands beyond. Lucifer was out there somewhere with his fallen (mocking him, probably). Damn them.

And, as if to spite him, Lucifer’s song seeped into the air like honey. Gadreel’s grip on the branch he was sitting on tightened. He tried his best to block Lucifer’s ( _Gadreel/peace/talk?/safe/no fighting_ ) song, attempting to turn his mind to other, far easier thoughts.

( _Gadreel/peace/I need you/no harm to you_ ) came his song. Gadreel gritted his teeth, but still he couldn’t keep himself from turning in the direction of his voice. Perhaps... perhaps he could hear Lucifer out. And then, of course, report back immediately to the archangels. He could even try and glean important information, things that would aid the Host in the fight against the fallen.

The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. The plan was simple, yet effective. He would just pretend to be sympathetic to Lucifer’s cause, and then spill everything to Michael. He was stronger than the fallen, anyways. They fell for Lucifer’s twisted words (in more ways than one), but _he_ would never.

Gadreel smirked and jumped from the tree. He could cross the border and meet with Lucifer, and become a hero.

Was that a sin? Surely it must be. But Gadreel knew it would be worth it in the end.


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the serpent enters Eden and finds Eve.

( _ Lucifer/where are you/peace/talk? _ )

Lucifer’s head jerked up. 

Azazel’s eyes widened incredulously.  “I can’t believe it!” 

Lucifer opened his mouth, singing loudly ( _ here/find me/peace/no harm _ ). Azazel met Lucifer’s eyes, and he nodded. The captain dropped from the tree they were in, as per the plan they discussed. Lucifer was going to do this alone. 

After giving Azazel enough time to get away, Lucifer let his voice swell in volume. Less than two minutes later, Gadreel swooped down from the sky. He visibly faltered when he spotted Lucifer. The fallen angel gestured to a nearby tree. Gadreel stared before landing on the branch. As he grabbed a smaller branch for stability, he revealed his pure divine form. Lucifer didn’t mind- he would let Gadreel have any advantage, so long as he listened to him. Gadreel tightened his second pair of wings over his face. 

“What do you want?” He asked stiffly.

“Simply to talk, as promised.” A spark of warmth flickered in his eyes. “I’ve missed you, brother.”

“We hardly ever talked,” Gadreel retorted, crossing his arms. 

“Yet I missed you just the same. I miss all of you.”

“You made your decision, Lucifer.” Gadreel was undoubtedly glaring at him behind his wings. 

“I did. But then...” He let out a wistful sigh. “Then Father made Eden.” Gadreel’s feathers ruffled. 

“You don't deserve its paradise.” Lucifer looked down at the ground below for a moment, considering his words. 

“All I want to do is walk in the Garden myself. I'm sure you know it in all of its splendor better than anyone.”

“I do,” he immediately replied, before adding, “but I'm not going to let you in.”

“What harm would it do? I'll stay away from the humans. No one else has to know.” Lucifer smoothed his feathers and tilted his wings up to show their vulnerable undersides in a rare display of humbled submission. “Gadreel, I promise I just want to look. I'll be quick.”

Gadreel, frankly, didn't know what to do with this. Even back in Heaven, Lucifer was considered a high ranking angel, and was loathe to show submission to any archangel besides Michael, even if he was technically beneath them. But now he was here, deferring to  _ him? _ Surely he couldn't trust that. 

“How could I ever keep you to your word? Simple promises won't be enough for me.” 

Lucifer gestured over to him. “You can still summon your weapons, I cannot. You can use your divine eyes, I cannot.” His tone was frank, nonchalant. “Stay with me the entire time, and kill me if I step out of line. It shouldn't be a problem for you.” Gadreel sighed, staring at him for a long time. 

“Please, brother?” Lucifer’s eyes softened even more. “I just want to adore Eden as much as you do.” 

Surely, Gadreel figured, it wouldn't do too much harm if he was watching him the entire time. Let Lucifer satisfy his curiosity, and then perhaps he might leave Eden alone for good. 

“Just this once,  _ brother _ ,” Gadreel snapped. Without warning he shot up through the canopy. Lucifer quickly leapt after him, beating his wings hard to keep up. He could hardly keep a grin off his face. 

Gadreel made no effort to consider Lucifer as he hurtled towards the border of the Garden. Once they were close, he landed in the forest right at the edge of the barrier. Lucifer landed hard next to him, grunting a little at the force of the impact. 

“Make this quick, Lucifer. Then I want you to never return.” Lucifer nodded, of course, and Gadreel reached his hand out. At the angel’s touch, the border shimmered into visibility. It cast a white glow on their immediate surroundings. Gadreel put both hands into the field, curling his fingers as if he was gripping it. Lucifer could only stare as he pulled his hands apart, opening a gap just large enough for Lucifer to squeeze through. This was it. 

“Thank you, Gadreel.” He didn't reply, only stepping through the intact barrier to the left of the gap. Lucifer hid his wings, hunching his shoulders inward as he calmly stepped through into the Garden of Eden.

 

* * *

 

One moment, everything was fine. The next, a vice-like crushing sensation came at Lucifer from all sides. Unprepared for such agony, he crumpled to the ground and hit it hard. Gadreel jerked around to stare, even moving his second pair of wings away from his face to make sure he was seeing things correctly. 

It felt like he was being cramped into a space far too small for him. Lucifer croaked with pain, twitching involuntarily. 

Were the trees getting taller?

His skin began to crawl and itch. Lucifer tensed up, and with great effort dragged his hand into view. His eyes widened in horror.  Before his eyes, the flesh on his hand dried, cracked, and blackened into scales. Then his vision darkened and dulled, causing panic to crawl up his throat. 

What was happening? Was he dying?

His arms and legs froze against his sides, and a terrified hiss bubbled up and out of him. 

_ Hiss? _

Gadreel let out a guffaw. Lucifer jerked his head up, tongue flicking out instinctively to taste the air. The virtue was towering over him, shaking with fits of laughter. 

“This is beautiful!” Gadreel knelt down, reaching out for him with hands that were far too massive. Lucifer tried to flinch back, but Gadreel’s hands encircled his entire body and lifted him up into the air. 

Lucifer jerked, hissing loudly and flicking his... _ tail? _

“You've turned into a serpent, brother!” He laughed again. 

A serpent?  _ A serpent? _

Gadreel tossed him back to the ground. Unable to do anything about it, Lucifer smacked into the forest floor belly first, head slamming down a moment later. The impact briefly stunned him. 

After taking a few beats to recover, Lucifer raised his head. His state made much more sense now that he knew what he was. 

“Father never disappoints!” Gadreel crowed. Lucifer hissed, flaring his hood. Of course God was going to play a trick like this on him!

“At least we know what he thinks of you now!”

_ “Shut up, Gadreel!” _

The angel jolted, looking down at him. “What?” In all honesty, Lucifer was just as surprised as Gadreel. He tried projecting his words mentally again. 

_ “I told you to shut your damned mouth.” _

Gadreel stared for a long while before eventually remarking, “That's new.” Lucifer let out an irritated hiss and turned in the direction of the center of the Garden. He had come this far- he was not going to let this stop him. (He shoved any and all fears that this change in shape would be permanent out of his mind.)

“Stop there, Lucifer.” Gadreel’s foot, now massive, came down on his body, pinning him in place. Lucifer arched his head up and spat, trying his best to squirm free. 

“Don't even think of sneaking off. I'll give you a little tour, but if you make any wrong moves I'll slice you in half.” Lucifer flicked his tail irritably. 

_ “Fine.” _

Gadreel lifted his foot off of him and Lucifer resumed slithering through the leaf mold. The angel followed him closely. 

Now, all Lucifer needed to do was ditch his warden. With the size difference, it would at least be easier to slip off. 

_ Thank God _ , Lucifer thought to himself, finding the irony quite amusing.

 

* * *

 

Eventually, they approached the heart of the Garden. The voices of a few angels -among them Michael, what joy- were raised in song nearby, but not close enough for them to detect him with their divine eyes. 

“Halt, Lucifer.” He did so, turning his head to look at Gadreel. It was best to be obedient for now. 

“You're not going anywhere near the humans. Come on.” He moved towards Lucifer, about to reach out to pick him up when a voice cut through the murmurs of the forest and the angels’ distant harmonies. 

( _ Greetings/warmth/Gadreel _ ) came the voice of Auriel, a high ranking power often called the Lion of God. Gadreel jumped, looking up as the other angel landed in front of him. Lucifer slid under a bush, hoping he wouldn't be detected. 

“Hello, sister,” Gadreel began, shifting into his simple divine form so he could flash her a smile that was just a bit too wide. 

“Michael wishes to coordinate the patrols with you. Come with me?” Lucifer stifled a noise. Why, the Archangel himself was doing his work for him! 

Gadreel shifted his weight. “I...”

_ “I will remain here _ ,” Lucifer sent to Gadreel, tone sincere. “ _ I look forward to the rest of our tour.” _

Gadreel knew he was stuck. He just wanted to satisfy Lucifer’s curiosity so he would leave the Garden alone forever- why was that so difficult? If he said no, Auriel would be suspicious. But if he went with her, then Lucifer might sneak off...

He would just have to be as quick as possible. 

“Alright,” Gadreel agreed, “but let's try and be quick. I wish to patrol again soon.” Auriel nodded and leapt up into the air. Gadreel shot Lucifer a threatening glare before following. Lucifer stayed where he was, tongue absentmindedly flicking out on occasion. He planned on waiting a minute or so to make sure they were truly gone. 

Once he had, he began to slither towards the grove. This was, of course, the direction that had a strong probability of leading him to being cleaved in twain, but he felt he could do it safely. If the Lion of God could not detect him, then it was likely that Michael wouldn't be able to sense him either. 

Probably. 

Maybe he was being optimistic.

 

* * *

 

When Lucifer reached the grove at the center of the Garden, he found with much annoyance that Adam was in clear sight of Michael and the other angels. However, this meant that the female, Eve, would be a prime target. Lucifer’s tongue flickered out to taste the smells in the air. The divinity laced scents of the angels were the most prevalent, but underneath them he could taste the sweat of Adam, and...  _ there.  _ Sweat and a feminine musk. She was close by. 

Thankfully, Gadreel and Auriel were distracting Michael. Lucifer slunk around Adam and the angels, following Eve’s scent trail. It was fairly new, and took him in the direction that the sun set. 

“Da, da da da- dee da da da, da dum...” Lucifer perked. That female voice was distinctly mortal, unrecognizable, and close by. 

“Da da da da da da dah dum, dee da da, dum dum...” Lucifer slithered closer and poked his head out of a bush. 

There, sitting at the base of a tree, was Eve. Like Adam and Lilith, her naked skin was a deep tan. Her hair, however, was dark like Adam's instead of brown laced with gold. She was singing to herself , eyes closed as she combed through her long hair with her fingers. 

Lucifer carefully slithered over the leaf mold, approaching her. With her duller senses, he knew she would not detect him unless she opened her eyes. Eve’s melody soared, but not with the ease of divinity. He moved closer and closer, until he was right next to her. 

Lucifer raised his head, open mouth exposing his fangs.  He knew they held venom- he had seen serpents just like him hunt their prey. He could bite her, and kill her easily. But then, what would stop his Father from just creating a new female? He had done it once, he would probably do it again. 

Yes... Lucifer needed to corrupt her, and this time he needed her to drag Adam down with her. It was going to be simple enough to do- he just needed to play nice. 

As docile as a kitten, Lucifer laid his head on her thigh. Eve’s song faltered and her eyes flew open. 

“Oh!” She gasped with surprise when she realized it was a serpent resting on her. “Hello, little one.”

_ “Hello, Eve.” _

Her eyes widened. “You can talk! Can all snakes do such a thing?”  _ What a naive creature.  _

Lucifer's forked tongue flicked out. “ _ Only the clever ones.” _ She smiled down at him. Her eyes were bright with innocent delight. 

Lucifer slithered up onto her lap, coiling up. Eve trailed a finger down his back in wonderment. 

“The other snakes here in Eden aren't nearly as friendly as you are.” Perfect, just  _ perfect _ . 

“ _ That is because I'm very fond of you.” _

“Really?” She grinned, petting his head. He couldn't help but relish how easy this was. 

_ “Yes, Eve. You are beautiful.” _ She was visibly flattered by his praise. She looked down at him, absentmindedly stroking his head. (It was surprisingly pleasant.)

_ “Tell me about the Garden, Eve. Do you like it?”  _

“Very much,” she replied, looking up at the canopy of leaves above them. “God Almighty is good to us.”

_ “Have you ever wondered about the lands beyond it?”  _ Eve frowned. 

“We're not allowed to go out there. What about you? Have you been?” 

_ “I live there. It is even better than the Garden- bountiful, but there are no rules controlling you.” _

Eve appeared to ponder such a concept, before shrugging. 

“My place is here.” She glanced down at him. “I am happy that you enjoy your home, though!” So perhaps it was best to go about this another way. She didn't seem nearly as curious as Lilith, but maybe he could bring it out in her. 

_ “What other rules do you have here, Eve?”  _ She thought about it for a moment, birds twittering overhead to fill the silence. 

“Not many. We must never touch or eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. It will kill us. God means well when he prohibits us from it.” 

_ “Truly?”  _ Lucifer asked, affecting a tone of skepticism. Eve nodded.

Lucifer hissed softly.  _ “That is a lie, Eve. You will not die.”  _ She cocked her head slightly, brows furrowing with confusion. He could tell it was a difficult concept for her to comprehend. 

_ “God forbade you from the Tree because he knows that when you eat from it, your eyes will be opened. You will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  _ Eve curled her arms around herself. 

“But God told us-”

_ “God  _ lied  _ to you!”  _ She visibly faltered, swallowing thickly. She looked hurt. 

“Really?” 

_ “Yes, Eve. He does not think you worthy of such knowledge.”  _ Silence stretched between them. Eve looked like she was on the verge of wounded tears. 

Lucifer’s tone turned gentler.  _ “You want to learn, don’t you? There is so much more to this beautiful, beautiful Earth.”  _

She nodded hesitantly, but replied, “I’m frightened.”

_ “Eat the fruit, Eve. It won’t harm you- it will make you as powerful as God Himself. You will see the world as it truly is, and He won’t be able to touch you.”  _ She stared down at him. Lucifer looked back up at her, black eyes shining yet soft in a remarkably human way. 

“I won’t die?” She whispered in a tiny voice. 

_ “No.” _ Lucifer slid off of her. He had her now- he knew it.  _ “Remember my words, Eve. Don’t accept your ignorance.”  _ Then he disappeared into the undergrowth, leaving her alone with her great, terrible thoughts.

 

* * *

 

The best Lucifer could do now was wait. Unable to converse with him again, Eve would agonize over his words until -hopefully- she ate the fruit. Though it relied on a variety of factors, it was simple. He could just feel that it would work. 

By the time he reached the border of the Garden, however, he was preoccupied with another issue: he was still a snake. Would the curse lift when he left Eden? Or was he stuck as this miserable creature for the rest of his days?

Well, there was only one way to find out. Lucifer slithered through the hole still gaping in the barrier (luckily, Gadreel had been too distracted with his transformation to remember to close it). 

Immediately once upon the other side, it was like a heavy weight was lifted off of him. Though he retained the shape of a snake, he knew now that he could change that easily. It was a quick slither to the forest nearby. Once in the cover of the trees, Lucifer eagerly let himself grow back into his usual self. It was a painful process, regrowing limbs, but also an elating one. Eventually he could stand back up on two legs. 

Lucifer stretched and rolled his shoulders, sighing. But though he was fully back in his normal form (albeit without any wings), he still felt...off. Like there was something...

_ It’s the snake, _ Lucifer realized. Deep underneath his skin, it was like he could feel it slithering, creeping.

Waiting.

He wasn’t sure whether he liked that or not. A permanent brand of “serpent” upon him, seared into his flesh by his vindictive, bitter Father. Forever a label, a curse. He could feel by the nature of the power that he had the capability to assume that visage again, much like the shape changing he was created with. Lucifer exhaled, breath hissing through the air. He was stuck with this. 

But... like he had with everything else in this mess, he could make it his own. He would win- he had to. 


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the first battle for Hell is waged.

When the fall came, it was  _ glorious _ . The news that both Adam and Eve had been exiled from the Garden of Eden was met with great celebration and much, much revelry. Everyone -from Zaqiel to Lilith to Arakiel to the king himself- was ecstatic. The Garden was soon sealed off in another dimension, like Heaven, and the humans were left to fend for themselves with no one but the serpent to blame. 

Rather than taking them in like he had with Lilith, Lucifer saw fit to let them eke it out on their own. It would be a source of entertainment for years to come.

 

* * *

 

And oh, was it. As decades passed, the fallen legion gleefully watched as the humans bred and multiplied and  _ sinned. _ It was better than anything Lucifer had ever imagined. 

There were, of course, the pious humans, but sooner or later they would succumb too. He was nothing but patient, and their fall was inevitable.

 

* * *

 

Soon, Lucifer started taking an interest in Hell. Aside from the few individuals who managed to make it to Heaven, every sinning soul went down to that dark realm beneath them. There, the angels punished those they deemed the wicked.

It was perfect. 

He had stolen the first woman, tempted Adam and Eve into sin- now he could take it a step further and torture the human souls his Father adored so deeply. 

“I like it,” Azazel remarked, trading a glance with Iofiel. Currently, Lucifer was gathered with the leaders of the fallen, discussing their newest plan of action. (Lilith -who had a remarkable lifespan comparable to those of Adam and Eve- was not present, for she had decided to temporarily join a human society. They didn’t mind.) 

“The humans will take over this world before long,” Arakiel began before trailing off, pondering their options. 

“And we all know the Host won’t let us rule over them,” Iofiel added. Arakiel nodded, and Lucifer stroked his chin. 

“Hell can be our own kingdom.”

“With you on the throne, of course.” Iofiel was looking at him, resolute in this assertion. He could work with this.

Speaking to all of them, Lucifer said, “You all have had me as your king for a long time now. Am I still fit to lead and guide you?” He knew what their answers were going to be, but it was still pleasing to have the entire circle of fallen nod and give their assent. Lucifer smiled. 

“We will drive out the angels and make Hell our own.”

Exael bared his teeth. “Victory will be sweet!”

 

* * *

 

Even as fallen, they were still divine enough to detect and locate the Gates to both Heaven and Hell. This time, however, the fallen legion was only interested in the fiery ones. They were going to rely on surprise and superior numbers during their invasion. Hell was likely only populated with a few dozen angels at most, with little to no battle preparations- and though they had their holy armor and weapons (and holy fire, which unfortunately burned them now), the fallen would be able to combat them with lightning and the strange, corrupted fire they had discovered they could create. Coupled with some crude human weapons, they had a good chance of being able to do this. 

There was a Gate to Hell west of where Eden had once been. They had stumbled across it before they had settled on their mountain -and disregarded it at the time- but now it was their best bet for an entrance. Once he had amassed his entire legion, Lucifer led the flight west. Over the days the land beneath them slowly turned from forest to scrubland, then from scrubland to desert sands. They knew they were getting close when they flew over a long river and into a desert with red sands. 

“There it is,” Iofiel said, pointing to a lonesome cluster of boulders sticking out from the sand. Clutching their crude spears and clubs, the fallen dove and landed before it. Most of them were only in their simple divine forms, which were far more suitable for battle in multiple ways. (Between ophanim like Zaqiel who had no hands in their pure divine forms, or cherubim like Azazel whose true forms were massive and consequently easier to hit- it was in everyone’s best interest.)

They took a moment simply to breathe. 

“Ready?”  Lucifer asked a few beats later. Iofiel and the captains voiced their assent. Reaching out with a hand, Lucifer felt for the Gate. It was invisible, but vibrating and throbbing in front of him, humming in a pitch that was almost too low for even him to hear. 

A little bit further- there. Lucifer closed his hand and pulled, opening the Gate. The fiery portal roared to life in front of them: a rip in the fabric of reality itself. It sent blasts of heat rolling over them and stirred their hair. 

Behind him, Exael winced. “Bit warm, isn’t it?” Lucifer snorted, not letting the apprehension that was growing in his chest be seen. Hopefully the fire of the portal wasn’t holy enough to kill them. 

In the interest of not burning his feathers again, Lucifer hid his wings. The other fallen did the same. Iofiel stepped up next to him.

“Shall I go first?” She murmured, perhaps sensing his hesitation. Lucifer shook his head.

“I am your king. I will be the one to lead you into battle.” He raised his spear. “For Hell!”

“For Hell!” His legion echoed. Then, without giving himself any more time to psych himself out, he leapt into the Gate. The roaring of the inferno filled his ears and overtook his vision as he felt himself get yanked downwards. He couldn’t help but yell with surprise. 

There were flames all around him, snapping and hissing. The heat was searing, but thankfully nowhere near deadly- probably because the fire didn’t seem to be touching him. He was spiralling lower and lower, so quickly it felt like he was being stretched and pulled apart. 

Never mind the heat, he might just die from the Gate itself!  

Then, just as suddenly as the Gate overtook him, it unceremoniously spat him out onto black stone. Lucifer hit it hard, grunting at the impact as his nose squashed into the ground. Curses flew from his mouth as he twitched a little on the stone. 

The Gate opened again behind him, roaring. Lucifer’s eyes snapped open and he scrambled out of the way, just barely making it before Iofiel slammed into the stone where he had been lying. She let out a loud curse. 

Lucifer heaved himself to his feet, rubbing his nose. He went over to Iofiel, who looked up at his approach.

“Here.” He offered a hand and she took it, standing. 

“That was-” She began, but was interrupted by the Gate. Lucifer yanked her out of the way, and not a second letter Azazel shot through. 

The process repeated itself as the fallen entered Hell. Some came alone, others in pairs or larger groups.

It was never graceful. 

Once the legion had their wits about them, they revealed their wings and took stock of their surroundings. Hell, like Heaven, had no physical light source (like Earth’s sun), but still was lit, albeit far, far more dimly than Heaven. It resembled a massive cavern hewn from varying shades of red or dark colored stone. Huge stalactites hung far above their heads, and massive stalagmites reached up in places to try to touch them. The fallen legion was on a high alcove, and beneath them in the distance, fires burned and screams occasionally echoed. 

So far, there were only some dead humans, but the angels clearly had enough to keep themselves busy.

“We follow the fires and attack any angel we see,” Lucifer instructed the fallen. “Azazel, Arakiel, take your squadrons together as one group. Arakiel, lead.” She bowed. 

“Iofiel, take half of the remaining group, and I will take the other half. Exael, go with Iofiel. We split up to approach the fires from all sides, but stay within singing distance.” The fallen nodded and divided themselves accordingly. Arakiel and Iofiel soon took flight, leading their soldiers in opposite directions. 

“To me!” Lucifer yelled, then lunged off the alcove. His division would be the front assault, with the other groups trapping them from the sides. Lightning crackled in the hand that wasn't clutching his spear. 

The frantic alarm songs of the angels inhabiting Hell soon pierced the air. As Lucifer and his soldiers neared the flames, he screeched a loud ( _ attack/no mercy _ ) war song. Angels roared out their own battle songs and soared up to meet them. Holy metals shrieked and clanged as they met the wood and stone of the fallen’s weapons. Lightning and fire -both holy and corrupted- shot through the air. 

Lucifer rammed into an angel that was diving for one of his soldiers, knocking him back through the air before he could attack. The angel -a lithe, blonde male, Simiel- grunted at the impact and scrabbled for purchase on him. Lucifer lost his hold on his spear, and it clattered to the stone below. Simiel tried to claw his way free of his grip, but neither of them could untangle or stop their momentum. They slammed into the ground a second later. 

Simiel was quickly on top of him, raising his knife, but Lucifer jerked a knee up into his stomach. Simiel’s grip loosened and he surged up so he was on top. Corrupted fire burst to life in his hands, and he pressed them to Simiel’s face. He screamed and bucked at the flames, and Lucifer dug his nails into his skin to hold on. 

Then a knife buried itself in Lucifer’s shoulder. He jerked away from Simiel on instinct, bellowing, and in that moment he scrambled out of his hold and leapt up into the air. Lucifer shot a bolt of lightning after him, but it arced just past him. 

Another angel dove towards him, clutched a knife identical to the one still embedded in his shoulder. Lucifer lunged for his discarded spear, grabbing it just in time to counter her strike. The impact snapped the crude wooden shaft in two- damned thing. The angel kicked out with her boot, catching Lucifer in the jaw as she flew back up out of reach. He was about to pursue when a fallen crashed to the stone nearby with an angel atop her. The angel lifted his mace to strike, but howled with pain when the fallen sank her teeth into the other arm pinning her. Lucifer barreled over, slamming the bottom half of the broken spear into the back of the angel’s head. The impact momentarily stunned him and made him loosen his grip. Lucifer grabbed his hair to haul him off of the fallen, who he now recognized as Ruhiel. 

“Thanks,” she gasped, spitting the angel’s blood out onto the stone and jumping to her feet. The angel, Theliel, was already recovering.

“I’ve got him,” he said to her as he tossed her the blunt half of his spear. “Use this and go help somewhere else.” Ruhiel nodded and jumped into the air right as Theliel reared up and swung at him with his silver mace. Lucifer had just enough time to throw up one of his wings, letting the tough muscles absorb the impact. They weren’t as durable as actual shields or armor were, of course -proven by the fact that the mace’s spines dug into his flesh and drew blood- but they were invaluable for one’s protection nonetheless. Lucifer much preferred getting hit in the wing over that mace caving his head in. 

Theliel swung again, but this time Lucifer was ready for him. He ducked to the left, jamming the broken spear into his side. It snapped into more pieces at the impact and Theliel howled, cuffing him hard and sending him sprawling onto the stone. His head knocked against the ground and the world spun. 

But another strike did not come after the first. Instead, a shrieking war song rent the air before Kokabiel, Arakiel’s lieutenant, leapt on Theliel’s back and dragged him down with her in a tangle of wildly flapping wings. He heard clattering as Theliel dropped his mace.

The two wrestled on the stone nearby as Lucifer blinked a few times to stop seeing double. He pushed himself up and snatched the mace, lunging over to slam it into the underside of Theliel’s sprawled out left wing while Kokabiel distracted him. Theliel yelled with pain, and Lucifer bared his teeth. The top of an angel’s wing might be tough -they were created that way, for protection- but the underside was a weak spot he gladly exploited.

Kokabiel let out a cry when Theliel threw her off and jumped to his feet. Lucifer tried to swing at him, but he had never been good with large, blunt weapons and it was easy for Theliel to dodge. He jammed his elbow into Lucifer’s rib cage and grabbed the mace right out of his hand. Lucifer yelped, jerking back a few steps. He felt the brush of Kokabiel’s primaries on his shoulder and moved closer to her, both of them standing side by side to face Theliel’s next strike. 

Theliel, however, seemed to know better than to attack when he was outnumbered. He turned and started to run, building up the speed needed for an easy takeoff that was necessary with his battered wing. Kokabiel lunged after him in pursuit, and Lucifer was about to follow when he heard Iofiel shriek out a ( _ help/outnumbered/urgent/I'm injured _ ) distress song.

_ No. Not her.  _

Even without a weapon Lucifer ran in the direction of her voice as Iofiel screamed the same melody again. He found her backed against a stone wall, favoring her right leg and dripping blood from a multitude of cuts and slices. She had only one of her stone knives, and was facing the two angels boxing her in with a white knuckled grip on it. If she noticed him, then she didn't dare take her eyes off the enemy. 

He knew that with her injured leg, Iofiel’s take off to get out of that corner would be difficult at best. She needed a distraction. 

Lucifer shot lightning at the angels, and like a storm he followed it with a thundering battle cry. The bolt struck the taller angel, and he seized up before crumpling to the ground. (He was still alive, of course, for they all had an inherent resistance to electricity, but it could certainly ground them.) The other angel dove to the right for cover. Iofiel took the moment to jump up, leg almost giving out before she managed to power herself into the air. Lucifer sent a spray of fire in the direction of the two angels before flying after Iofiel. 

“You alright?” He yelled above the din. 

“Fine!” She called back. “Just need to stay in the air!” Lucifer nodded and corkscrewed in the other direction to avoid a burst of holy flames. 

He took a moment to survey the fighting. In the chaos it was difficult to tell who was on which side, but Lucifer was sure they were winning. They had superior numbers- it was only a matter of beating the angels back. With a rallying song, Lucifer dove back into the battle. 

Hell was going to be theirs. He would make sure of it.

 

* * *

 

When the call for the angels to retreat finally came, the fallen answered it with victorious howls. They were all battered and bloody, but glowing bright with the flush of victory. They watched and jeered as the last of the angels fled through the Gate, leaving only a few corpses behind. They would be reincarnated in time, just as the two slain fallen would. The fallen soldiers were loathe to actually kill angels, just as the angels tried not to kill any fallen- they were, after all, brothers and sisters, and despite differing creeds they often couldn't bring themselves to strike a final blow. Nobody acknowledged this fact, not even Lucifer (for he was guilty of it too), but it was a difficult, unspoken truth. 

Crimson blood oozed out of Lucifer's wings and stained his grey feathers red as he climbed up onto a rock to address his legion. Even he was suffering injuries all over (annoyingly, holy weapons were able to injure their wings easily). Once above his soldiers, Lucifer looked over them and let out a relieved breath. They had done it. 

“Hell is ours!” Lucifer boomed. The fallen replied with victorious roars and cheers. Iofiel, who was leaning on Exael for support, grinned up at him. 

“Here we will make our true kingdom, the name of which will strike fear into the hearts of men, angels, and God himself!” 

“Hail King Lucifer!” Azazel called above the uproar. The words quickly spread and thundered, echoed throughout the dark cavern. Lucifer grinned. 

Yet another blow had been struck against Heaven. He was a king, and now he had a throne. 


	9. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which new powers are discovered, the second battle for Hell is waged, and Lucifer changes the rules of the game forever.

Lucifer and his fallen rushed to fortify Hell as fast as they could, anticipating a counterattack. They were intrigued to find that as they explored more of Hell, they discovered the numerous fires were not holy, and didn't burn them. It was much like their own strain of corrupted fire. Clearly, they were meant to occupy this realm. 

They set up camp on a central hill that overlooked their surroundings. It reminded them of the mountain on Earth that had once been their home. They didn't have the numbers to patrol the entirety of Hell, for, like Heaven, its boundaries were ever-shifting. Instead they remained clustered around the hill, keeping tabs on the nearby Gates and occasionally sending out parties to explore. 

The human souls bathing in hellfire near their camp were most entertaining. Even Lucifer found he enjoyed playing with them, and delighted in their screams. They were fascinating to watch. When new souls came, the fallen didn’t actively hunt them down, but if they came close they were captured and dumped into the nearest lake of fire. It became something of a sport for the lower fallen in the legion.

 

* * *

 

Lucifer was standing before one of the fire pits when he felt a strange tugging in his hands. Curious, he looked down at his palms. It was like he could feel some sort of connection...with the lake? He raised his hands in the direction of the fire, obliging to the desire. When he flexed his fingers, a feeling of hot, sizzling power surged up to meet them. His blood felt like it was boiling. 

A pillar of fire erupted from the lake, shooting high up into the air. The blazing heat of it was searing. Lucifer flinched with surprise, eyes widening. The power in his blood dissipated abruptly, and the fire tumbled back down into the lake. Lucifer gawped.

_ He did that. _

He felt the hellfire, and it responded to him like an eager servant. Even back in Heaven, his holy fire could not be manipulated once unleashed from his hands. That was simply how it worked. But now...

Lucifer called out to the sizzling power again, and clenched his hand into a fist. The lake of fire noticeably rippled. He couldn’t help but grin. The hellfire  _ obeyed _ him. Like he truly was a king. 

He swept his hands up, and the lake of fire rose up into a crested wave. With a simple tilt of his hand the wave reared back like a serpent preparing to strike. Lucifer laughed with triumph and sent a gout of fire shooting up at the stalactites, while letting the rest of it tumble back into the pit. The fire above his head scorched the lowest hanging stalactites before dissipating. 

( _ Anyone there?/Assistance? _ )  rang the concerned song of Ertrael, a soldier from Arakiel’s squadron. Lucifer turned as he dove down, looking worried. 

“Is everything well, my king?” He asked, touching down next to him. “We saw the fire getting out of control.” Lucifer’s lips twitched. 

“On the contrary, Ertrael, the hellfire is  _ completely  _ in my control. Watch.” He flicked his wrist and the fire arced up into a writhing tower. Ertrael stepped back, feathers fluffing up with shock. 

“How are you doing that?” Lucifer curled the fire into a thin spiral. 

“It simply follows my will.” Intrigued, Ertrael extended a hand towards the lake. His brows furrowed with concentration. 

“I can feel it inside my blood. It burns, it pulls at me,” Lucifer explained, letting the fire settle back into the lake. Ertrael curled his fingers, the cords in his neck showing. After a few beats, he sighed and relented. 

“There’s nothing. I can’t feel anything.”

“No?” Ertrael shook his head, looking put out. Lucifer shrugged. “Perhaps it takes practice. Let’s go back to camp.” Ertrael extended his tawny, speckled wings and leapt out over the lake. He was able to use the bit of altitude they had over it to climb into the air. Lucifer followed, and together they turned back in the direction of their home.

 

* * *

 

The legion met this new development with excitement and curiosity. Lucifer had demonstrated his ability multiple times, and they were all quick to light fires and try it- to no avail. 

Now Lucifer was clustered with his circle of high ranking fallen around a rock blazing with hellfire. (The fire itself was a strange substance, and they had found it could burn for a while even just on stone. Somehow it seemed to sustain it.) Iofiel and the captains were just as eager to try to tame the fire, but they were having no luck either. 

Exael let out a long groan at their fruitless efforts, hiding his wings so he could flop back onto the ground. “This is useless! None of us can do it!” 

They were all sitting in a ring around the burning rock, looking rather discouraged aside from Lucifer himself. 

“I don't know why not,” Lucifer replied, shrugging. 

“I guess it's only fitting that our king can control the hellfire,” Azazel remarked. Iofiel tilted her head, considering this thought. 

“Perhaps that actually has something to do with it.”

“How so?” Arakiel asked from her spot next to Exael, who was still sprawled out and staring up at the stalactites. Lucifer cocked a brow, intrigued by Iofiel’s idea. 

“Even though you're not an archangel, Lucifer, you still have powerful blood like they do. Maybe that's why you have different abilities than us.”

“Like the serpent!” Arakiel chimed in. It was actually a compelling argument. Lucifer quite liked the thought of it. 

“Good thinking, Iofiel.” She smiled at him. 

Not even sitting up, Exael extended a hand towards the fire and clenched it into a fist. Nothing happened. 

“Give it a rest, Exael,” Azazel grunted. The other captain grumbled something under his breath. 

“What was that?” Azazel scowled. Lucifer waved his hand. 

“Let him try. I don't see why he can't.”

“Yeah, Azazel,” Exael added in a clear jab. 

Arakiel rolled her eyes. “Stop it, you two.”

“Make me!” The captains quickly dissolved into mild bickering. Iofiel looked to Lucifer, giving him a knowing glance. They were going to keep that up for a while. Lucifer snorted and got to his feet. Iofiel did the same. 

The captains didn't even spare a breath as the arguing turned into playful tussling. Lucifer stepped back out of the way, lips twitching. Then he held his hand out to Iofiel and she took it, entwining their fingers together. They left the fallen at the fire, instead opting to go off alone in the quiet. Hell was pleasantly warm- it had taken some getting used to at first, but Lucifer definitely preferred it over the cold winters on Earth. 

“How are you liking Hell?” He asked Iofiel. She smiled a little.

“It feels like home already.”

“A place we can call our own,” Lucifer agreed. She squeezed his hand affectionately. They walked in silence, enjoying the other’s quiet company. Of all the fallen, Iofiel was the one who he valued most of all. He knew he could trust her, even when it came to his deeply buried homesickness. She would love him no matter what, loyal to the end. 

“Do you think the Host will try and take this place from us?” She wondered aloud, looking up at the stalactites above. He reached out and touched her cheek, guiding her to look at him. She gazed at him with trust in her eyes. 

“We won’t let them, Iofiel.” His eyes were steely with resolve. She smiled, devotion evident on her face. 

Lucifer let his forehead rest against hers, closing his eyes. 

“But let’s not talk about such matters now. Right here, in this moment, it is just you and I.” In reply, Iofiel softly pressed her lips to his. Lucifer relaxed against her, pulling her even closer. Soon they forgot everything else and fell into each other’s arms, sharing pleasure and pretending their futures were certain.

It was a beautiful lie.

 

* * *

 

As with all illusions, though, it was shattered eventually. Lucifer was talking with Arakiel when alarm songs pierced the heated air of Hell. They both sprung to their feet, knowing immediately what was happening: the angels were invading. 

“Muster your soldiers and return quickly!” Lucifer ordered. “We will hold out here!” Arakiel leapt into the air without a word, belting out a summons. 

Lucifer let out his own ( _ gather/to me/we will defend _ ) song, and the fallen nearby quickly regrouped around him. Lightning sparked to life in some hands, hellfire in others. The angels were approaching from a nearby Gate, lightning sparking like stars on the horizon. Lucifer’s group would have to manage alone until Arakiel’s squadron returned- the other captains were out on patrol with their own soldiers, and wouldn’t be able to make it in time to counter the first wave. 

“Incoming!” Iofiel yelled, shooting a bolt of lightning as the angels dove at them, holy weapons drawn. Their camp was soon reduced to chaos as the two forces clashed. Songs were shrieked on both sides. He, Iofiel and their group of soldiers were outnumbered, Lucifer could obviously tell, but all they needed to do was hold out until Arakiel and her squadron could bolster their ranks. 

Lucifer hijacked a stream of hellfire that sailed past an angel, forcing it to curve back around and hit the angel in the back. The fire caught quickly on his feathers, and he let out a shrill scream. The angels were quick to notice, trading alarmed looks and words of warning. Lucifer couldn’t help but grin even as they quickly zeroed in on him as the cause of it. A bolt of lightning shot straight at him and he dove to the left, rolling when he hit the stone. Before he could recover, an angel nearby darted at him. Lucifer jerked back as she swung with her silver sword, then lunged to his feet in an attack of his own. He threw his body weight on top of her to overbalance her, and they crashed to the stone together. He could hear her sword skidding away across the ground.

“Traitor!” She roared as she grappled for his throat. Lucifer jammed his knee up into her armored stomach. (A part of his mind acknowledged the fact that that was  _ really  _ going to hurt later, if the loud clang upon impact was anything to go by.) The angel, though obviously unharmed, fell to the right. It gave Lucifer just enough time to scramble back to his feet, ready to face her next assault despite the fact that his knee had already started to protest. He had a long battle ahead of him.

But before either of them could move, the screaming war songs of an entire patrol of fallen pierced the air. The angel faltered in surprise, while Lucifer’s knee nearly gave out at the rush of relief that surged up. Arakiel was back with fresh soldiers. He shot the angel across from him a wild grin. Her lip curled in disgust.

_ (Aid needed/urgent) _

And the angels certainly would need a lot of it, wouldn’t they? He couldn’t help but laugh. 

Though the angel never took her eyes off of Lucifer, he could tell she had turned her attention to the song of one of her allies by the tilt of her head.

“Go on,” Lucifer taunted, raising an eyebrow expectantly. “Don’t want to keep him waiting.”

The angel spat at his feet before jumping into the air, abandoning him to the rest of the melee. Lucifer’s grin widened. 

“Good riddance!”

 

* * *

 

The fighting that followed was fast and bloody, but with little to no death- as it always was. None of them could bring themselves to deal a lethal blow, not even now. 

Lucifer leapt into the air, looking around quickly. Even though Arakiel and her fresh soldiers had come to aid them in the fight, they were still outnumbered. Where were the other captains? 

Lucifer rolled right to avoid a blast of fire -visually holy fire and hellfire were indistinguishable, but he wasn’t eager to try his luck- listening hard to the cacophony of fighting, songs, and screams.

( _ Lucifer/message/urgent _ ) came Zaqiel’s voice from behind. Lucifer turned quickly, hopefully. Were their reinforcements here? 

But no, it was just the lieutenant barreling towards him. With powerful beats of his deep grey wings, Lucifer met him halfway.

“What?”

“There’s a second force of angels to the east. We’re handling it, but we will not be able to send any soldiers here. What is your status?” Lucifer cursed. 

“We’ll manage. Go, Zaqiel.” The lieutenant turned, hurrying back from whence he had came. 

There was no way they could overcome this attack through numbers or force. He needed to find whoever was commanding them, and subdue them. That could be enough to scare the angels off. Lucifer tuned back into the noise of the battle, trying to untangle and identify individual voices. Who would Michael send to lead? He could hear that there weren’t any archangels here, but besides that... Auriel, Adramelech, Samael? It could be any of them. 

Lucifer darted out of the way as a fallen clashed with an angel midair. If he could just pick out the right song-

( _ Flank enemy/quick strike/sow confusion _ )

There! Lucifer whirled around, sensitive ears quickly pinpointing the location of what he recognized to be Adramelech’s song. Orders were clearly coming from him- a throne, the highest ranking one here. Lucifer swooped to the left, skirting the worst of the melee to follow his voice.

And there, surveying the fighting below with holy fire blazing in his hands, was the commander himself. A slice in his left wing streaked his brown-orange feathers with red, but he seemed to be keeping himself aloft fairly well. Lucifer planned on changing that. 

With a roar, Lucifer sent a bolt of lightning at him. Adramelech jerked up just in time, the electricity just a few feet from clipping his foot. He bared his teeth at Lucifer and dove for him. 

Perfect. Adramelech’s distraction would be detrimental to the Host’s coordination. He planned on taking him for a ride. 

A high stakes game of cat and mouse ensued through the battlefield as the two fired projectiles at each other while dodging others. Adramelech remained right on his tail, but Lucifer managed to keep just out of reach. He had always been fast.

“Face me, coward!” He roared. Lucifer grinned.

_ Your wish is my command. _

One second, Lucifer was shooting forwards. The next, he spun around and faced Adramelech head on. He couldn’t stop his momentum, and only had time for his eyes to widen before they slammed into each other. Lucifer grabbed onto him and hid his wings. Adramelech was unprepared for the sudden dead weight, and plummeted to the ground while Lucifer held on for dear life.

They hit the stone hard, even with Lucifer using Adramelech to soften the impact. Lucifer’s teeth clacked together violently, but it was nothing compared to the sickening crunch of the bones in Adramelech’s wings as they shattered beneath them. He let out a yell, making Lucifer instinctively cringe at the volume. His scream swelled into a high pitched song of agony as he began to thrash under Lucifer, who jammed his knee into his chest to keep him still. 

The battle was still raging around them like a hurricane. At some point during their long chase, the rest of his legion had returned, bleeding and battered- they must have driven off the other force of angels. But even if the tide of the battle was changing in their favor, he needed to stop this fight before he lost any more of his fallen. Definitive action was required.

Lucifer raised his head and howled a song, voice splitting into four different octaves at once. It was an all-encompassing song unique to archangels, designed to catch and command the attention of lower angels. Lucifer’s blood was similar enough to the archangels’ to allow him to use his voice like that, but not close enough that he could manage it easily like they did.

Regardless of their side in the conflict, the warring angels all instinctively froze and looked to Lucifer. It was impossible for them not to. Even Adramelech’s involuntary pain-song halted, though he remained shaking beneath Lucifer with glazed over eyes. 

Lucifer cut off the powerful song that was already making his throat ache. 

“Beneath me is your leader!” He yelled as the angels watched, voice scratchy and rough. He jammed his hands into Adramelech’s offset, broken wings and he writhed on the stone, beginning to scream again. Lucifer bared his teeth and dug his fingers in deeper. 

Everyone -even the fallen- could only watch Adramelech’s suffering, frozen with horror. Doing something like this was unheard of in their fights, even during the rebellion. This was not subduing an enemy- this was torture.

“This is what happens to those who oppose me!” Lucifer roared over Adramelech. He didn’t know where these words were coming from, but they felt more right than anything. 

“I will accept nothing more than unconditional surrender and retreat!” The angels were visibly aghast at Lucifer, but all they did was watch. Even most of his own soldiers looked uncomfortable at his words- though a feral grin was starting to tug at Azazel’s bloodied lips. No one moved, spellbound at the scene before them.

“Please!” Adramelech begged, voice cracking. Lucifer grabbed his throat. 

“Stop, stop!” Shouted a principality named Leliel, breaking the spell by saying what everyone was thinking. “Stop, Lucifer!” 

“Give me what I want!” He snapped back, hands starting to constrict around Adramelech’s neck as the throne beneath him struggled uselessly.  

“Fine!” Leliel conceded immediately, choosing to take charge when no one else would. “We surrender! Just stop it, he’s suffered enough!” 

The words seemed to strike Lucifer like no one else's had. After a long moment, he loosened his grip and dipped his head. Adramelech inhaled deeply, shuddering and shaking.

“We’ll go in peace, and recall our other division,” Leliel said.

“They’re already gone,” Azazel replied, grinning. He had blood in his teeth, and no one could tell if it was his own or someone else’s. 

Lucifer didn’t look up once during the exchange, eyes glued to Adramelech’s face. It was a rictus of agony, but somehow...beautiful. The tears running down his face glittered like stars, leaving glistening trails that reminded him of comets. 

Finally, he spoke. “You’re right, Leliel. He  _ has _ suffered enough.” He traced his cheek with a finger, gently wiping away his tears before cradling his head in his hands. Adramelech looked up at him, expression carrying a glimmer of hope that Lucifer would show mercy. 

“You will suffer no longer,” he told him, smiling warmly.

Then Lucifer snapped his neck. Adramelech was dead before the loud crack had finished echoing through Hell.

Disbelieving horror choked the air, silence hanging over them like a wet blanket. Lucifer stared down at Adramelech’s vacant face, brown eyes still wet with tears he would never shed. 

“Get out of my kingdom,” he growled, voice holding a deadly quiet. The phantom sensation of Adramelech’s neck breaking still vibrated in his hands. He knew he could do it again. Leliel opened her mouth, but no words came out. Tears were welling in her eyes. 

“ _ Get out! _ ” Lucifer screamed at them, voice reverberating through the cavern before getting swallowed up by the thick, heavy silence. His eyes met Leliel’s. She took a shaky step forward, reaching out. (What for, Lucifer could tell even she didn’t know.) Then she hesitated.

Whatever she found in Lucifer’s blue grey eyes, it made up her mind. Leliel turned and ran, spreading her wings. The angels followed her, taking to the air and fleeing in the direction of the Gate. The fallen watched numbly, but Lucifer’s eyes were drawn magnetically back to the body beneath him. It was still warm.

Lucifer exhaled a carefully measured breath and rose to his feet. 

“You...you killed him,” Iofiel managed, still in shock. Lucifer met her wide stare. 

“This is not the first time an angel has been slain in our battles.”

“But never like this!” Exael spoke up, looking uncharacteristically distressed. “Never in cold blood!” His lieutenant, Baraqiel, took his hand, keeping him steady. 

“Hell is ours!” Lucifer yelled, suddenly vicious. The fallen flinched. Iofiel studied him, visibly turning his words over in her head. Her expression changed slightly.

“You did it for us, Lucifer.” Though directed at him, it was a statement intended for the fallen legion surrounding them. They were uncertain and looking for guidance. 

“Every decision I make is for us.” Lucifer’s eyes were steel. 

“You did it so we didn’t have to.” She was staring at him.

He knew what she was doing, just as she knew that he did. That was his favorite thing about her- Iofiel had always been beautiful in her complete and utter devotion to him.

“Everything is for us,” Lucifer repeated. The fallen appeared to relax just slightly at this thought, seeming to find truth and comfort in it. Lucifer’s gaze strayed back to Adramelech’s body, limp and broken on the deep red stone. 

Whatever his soldiers believed, the truth was that Lucifer had  _ enjoyed _ taking Adramelech’s life. The power, the thrill of it. Was this how his Father felt all of the time? 

Lucifer’s face twisted. He sent a spray of hellfire at the body, watching as it quickly caught and began to consume his clothing, his flesh, his feathers. The fallen’s morbid fascination was too great to suppress, and no one looked away. No one dared sing for him either, as the Host would tonight. 

“Hail King Lucifer,” Exael mumbled to himself, seeking to lose himself in the now familiar creed as he squeezed his lieutenant’s hand tightly. “Hail King Lucifer.” Zaqiel, next to the pair, swallowed thickly and joined.

“Hail King Lucifer.” 

Lucifer met his eyes and nodded slowly, allowing each and every soldier to see it. The sickly sweet stench of burning divinity was stifling in the air. 

“Hail King Lucifer!” Arakiel suddenly yelled, voice strained. The pain was clear on her face. Lucifer raised his chin, extending his wings in a display of power and dominance. 

“Hail King Lucifer!” Azazel bellowed. What had started as a frightened whisper grew and burst into an inferno, a cacophony of shouts from his fallen legion. The firelight made Lucifer’s blue eyes glow with gold and orange. 

“Tonight was a victory!” He yelled above the din. “Tonight, we asserted ourselves as a true, deadly force to be reckoned with!” He cast his gaze over his soldiers as they howled and cheered through their conflicting emotions, lips curling into a vicious smile. He could taste smoke.

“The Host will tremble before our might!” 

And one day, maybe centuries, millennia from now- he was going to rend the Heavens into pieces. Everything would  _ burn. _


	10. Ten

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lucifer encounters two old friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick sex scene about midway through.

The fallen legion maintained patrols, but the Host did not dare to try another attack. Adramelech’s death seemed to be keeping them cowed- for now. 

Everyone looked at Lucifer differently now. He knew that anytime one of his soldiers met his eyes, they were seeing Adramelech’s burning body again. It bothered him less than it probably should have. 

Iofiel and the captains remained staunchly on his side, and were quick to reassure any of the fallen who had doubts about their king. (And if they still weren’t convinced, Lucifer soon knew about it.) 

Things were changing, both in Hell and in Lucifer himself. Ever since Adramelech had been reduced to nothing but ash and bone, he could feel that something new was prowling in his veins, entwining with the serpent and slowly merging with it. Unlike the serpent, though, it felt  _ right.  _ More right even than singing. It was slowly growing stronger, creeping closer towards something Lucifer couldn’t name.

He wanted it.

 

* * *

 

Adramelech’s bones were eventually gathered and dumped into a lake of fire, but not before Lucifer took one of his ribs. He intended to keep it as a trophy, a warning. 

It became more than that, though, when he began scraping at it with a sharp stone and whittling it to a lethal point. Soon he had crafted it into a blade, a crude knife. He fashioned a rudimentary sheath for it, and started to carry it with him at all times. He liked the touch of fear it put in his soldiers when they saw it... and could only imagine how horrified it would make the angels of the Host.

 

* * *

 

Time passed, and more human souls found themselves trapped in Hell. None of the fallen could say how many years had passed on Earth, for Hell was their priority at the moment. The legion spent most of their time either patrolling or toying with human souls. 

Currently, Lucifer was hunting down a stray human soul with Iofiel at his side. The lower fallen were speaking the truth about how thrilling the chase was: humans were clever and could make it fun, but with their lack of wings they would always get caught in the end. 

“We’ll flank him,” Lucifer said to Iofiel before curving to the right. She mirrored him, eyes trained on the ground where the human was fleeing. It wouldn’t be long now.

( _ Lucifer/important/message _ )

Azazel’s song broke their concentration. Lucifer whirled around around as Iofiel faltered and turned as well. Was there another invasion?

( _ Important/no danger _ ) Azazel continued. Lucifer relaxed. He could hear Iofiel curse from farther behind him. 

“Useless ball of feathers made us lose the soul!” She griped as she drifted closer to Lucifer. 

“Let’s go see what he wants.” The two fallen headed in the direction of Azazel’s voice, soon landing on the ridge where he had landed so they could find him.

“There you are!” The captain proclaimed.

“What is it?” Lucifer asked. Azazel chuckled. 

“An old friend of ours has returned to us.” 

“Who?” Iofiel questioned. Lucifer cocked a brow. Was it an angel? One of the few fallen who had refused to rejoin the legion?

“With your permission, my king, I’d like to keep it a surprise.” His eyes were twinkling. Whoever it was, then, they were the furthest thing from a threat. Lucifer nodded. 

“Bring us to them, then.” Azazel jumped off the ridge, gliding back in the direction of their camp. Iofiel shared a curious look with Lucifer before they both followed. 

Laughter and excited chatter reached their ears as they approached the camp. Lucifer dove down, Azazel and Iofiel moving to flank him. 

“What is all this about?” Lucifer asked as he touched down on the dark stone, loud enough to catch the attention of the fallen talking and laughing. But before anyone could answer, a sun-kissed blur flew at him and threw their arms around him. Lucifer very nearly burst into hellfire before he realized who was currently squeezing the life out of him.

“Lilith?” 

“My Lucifer!” Lilith exclaimed, hugging him even tighter. Lucifer croaked, his arms pinned to his sides. Lilith had always been strong for a human. 

“It’s been so long,” she said into his shoulder, loosening her grip so Lucifer could return the embrace. He rested his chin on her head, smiling. 

“Indeed it has.” After a moment he pulled back slightly, noticing the slight haze around her body.

No, not a body. Simply a form- her true body was rotting somewhere on Earth. Lilith had died, and her soul had come here.

“The other humans I found warned me about angels with brands in their skin, saying you would throw me into a fire... but I knew better.” She beamed at him, and he chuckled. 

“Certainly. We’re happy to have you back at last.”

“I missed all of you so much!” She declared, releasing Lucifer to address all of them. 

“How much havoc did you wreak while you were gone?” Exael called out, grinning.

“You’d be proud of me!” Lilith fired back. Lucifer smirked as the fallen laughed. She clearly had stories to tell. It was great to have his first human back again, as fiery and beautiful as ever. She would fit in well here in Hell. 

They had a lot of catching up to do, and Lilith was clearly thinking the same thing. She caught his eye and winked. He nodded, understanding that they would talk in private soon... among other things. Her coy smile betrayed that she was planning much, much more.

But then she made a nonchalant remark to the group that changed everything.

“I made Samael fall.”

 

* * *

 

It took a while for the fallen to contain their loud curiosity long enough to shut up and let Lilith tell the story. Once they finally did, however, they remained silent and listened with rapt attention.

Years after she had come to stay with a village of humans, an angel had finally rediscovered her. But it was not just any angel- it was the cherub Samael, one of Heaven’s best fighters and a lethally efficient commander. He had also been one of Eden’s guards, so Lilith knew him well- well enough to be sweet on him, even. 

(Lucifer himself knew Samael wasn’t very adept at courtship -it was a common joke amongst the higher ranking angels- so he could only imagine how he might have reacted to Lilith flirting with him.)

At that point in time, there was little Samael could do with Lilith other than talk with his old friend. He didn’t have the heart to strike her down, not now with humans spreading over the lands. There would be no point. 

After talking with her long into the night, Samael left. Lilith wasn’t sure if he would ever return, but after a few weeks he did. It quickly became a recurring thing between them- they were friends again, surely, even if Lilith was subtly pressing for more. At one point, Samael had flat out acknowledged that he was not going to stumble into the sin of fraternizing with a human. (That earned a few chuckles from the fallen.) Lilith took it in stride, though, simply changing her tactics. 

As Lilith continued to describe her months with Samael that soon turned into years, Lucifer began to notice a look in Lilith’s eyes that he had once seen directed at him. 

Love. 

Making Samael fall had never been a game, Lucifer realized, not even in the beginning. He had thought himself her first real love -even Lilith herself acknowledged that Adam never really counted- but in reality she had already been captivated by another. She had wanted Samael to fall not so she could boast, but so he could be with her. 

Lilith caught his eye. Silent understanding passed between them. But then the moment was dispelled by Kokabiel.

“Come on, Lilith, get to the good stuff!” She stuck her tongue out at the lieutenant but obliged, skipping ahead. Lucifer made a silent note to himself to get the full story out of her at some point.

At some point, Samael himself had truly realized he loved her. It was then, when he was horrified and so, so lost, that Lilith had taken him into her arms and guided him to her bed. He was -as a couple of the fallen already knew- an awkward, clumsy lover, but passionate in his pleasure and the heartbreak it brought him. Lilith stroked his hair as he cried afterwards, ashamed at how he felt like he was home here with her rather than in Heaven. 

He was gone in the morning. 

Lilith then skipped ahead to about a month later, when Samael showed up in her village bruised and battered, fresh from his own fall. He had nearly collapsed in her arms, and she into his- but she was relieved rather than distraught. (Lucifer knew she had been hoping that that was the beginning of their new life together, but could tell by the way she frowned that her dreams had not become reality.) The few days they spent together after that were difficult. It didn’t take long for Samael to figure out that she had been trying to make him fall- it was done out of love, but he didn’t seem to understand that and blamed her for it. Regardless Lilith held hope that things would get better. Eventually, Samael’s ice cold demeanor would melt. But then, one day, he disappeared. Left no trace behind for her to follow. 

Lilith ended the story there, shrugging and remarking that he was probably off sulking somewhere alone. Lucifer knew that under that, though, she had been heartbroken. She still was. 

The cloud that was lingering over her was quickly dispelled as the fallen demanded more stories, and she gladly humored them. Lucifer knew this was good for her, even if she was still struggling with the effort of moving on. 

They locked eyes again. Lucifer’s expression softened with understanding and a promise that they would talk alone later. She gave him a sad little smile.

 

* * *

 

Once Lilith was settled back in with the legion, Lucifer swept her form up into his arms and flew them to a high, distant alcove where they wouldn’t be disturbed. There, she made the words Lucifer initially planned on dissipate into lust and the feeling of skin on skin (even if Lilith was a bit intangible at the edges). Anytime Lucifer attempted to bring Samael up, she would cut him off with a kiss. It didn’t take him long to give up and lose himself in her, as she was with him. 

They fell into a quick and familiar rhythm- Lilith remained feisty as always, raking her nails down his back between his wings where it was most sensitive and biting at any bit of his flesh she could reach in his iron grip.

“I missed you so much,” she gasped out before latching onto his shoulder with her teeth. Lucifer’s fingers dug into her hips, a vicious growl escaping. Pleasure, ecstasy was building between them. Neither of them would last much longer. 

“You are mine,” he hissed, eyes sparking. 

“I belong to no man,” she replied, arching her back and moaning when Lucifer slammed deep into her.

“No,” Lucifer agreed. Then he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look him in the eye as their climaxes built in time with each other. “But you have  _ always _ been mine.”

Lilith raised an eyebrow. To make a point, she clenched tightly around his length and suddenly he was gone, losing control, stars exploding behind his eyes. He thought he might have heard her laughing through her moans as she watched him, before sneaking a hand between them to tip her into her own orgasm. Lucifer groaned, burying his face in her neck at the overstimulation it brought him as she writhed under him. She bit out a curse as pleasure sang in her veins. 

Slowly, slowly, they settled into stillness. Lucifer rested his head on her breast, closing his eyes and sighing with content. She had no heartbeat, but her skin was warm and sticky with sweat and other fluids. Souls were curious things.

“Are you pleased?” She murmured. 

“Most definitely, my Lilith.” He smiled. Lilith took a moment to stretch before exhaling and settling back into her previous position. 

“No human male ever compared to you,” she remarked, threading her fingers through his silver curls. 

“So I was bested by a mortal female?” He asked in reply, smirking a little. She snorted and lightly whacked his back. 

“Let me clarify for those who have feathers where their minds should be: no human.”

“That’s what I thought.” Lucifer chuckled. Lilith laughed at his blatant smugness, especially when his feathers fluffed up with delight at his accomplishment. 

“You, my king, are too proud for your own good.”

“We wouldn’t be here without it.”

‘“No,” she agreed, resting her eyes. “We wouldn’t.”

 

* * *

 

Eventually, Hell was sound enough in its security for the fallen to make the occasional jaunt to Earth. Lucifer himself didn’t go too often, but occasionally Hell felt a little too stifling.

Thus, after making sure Iofiel knew he was going to stay on Earth for a day or so (and entrusted his knife to her for safe keeping after the sheath had come undone), he flew to the nearest Gate. The flames inside, never hot enough to singe, no longer fazed him.

Soon the Gate spat him out onto the dirt. Lucifer stumbled, wings spreading and flapping along with his arms to regain his balance before he fell. Once he righted himself, he straightened and looked around, hoping no one had seen his lapse in grace.

Thankfully, there was no one around but songbirds. The sun was shining down from a clear sky upon the field Lucifer had found himself in. He wasn’t too sure where he was, and the temperature -pleasantly warm- wasn’t much of a help. 

Not that it mattered. Lucifer started to jog to facilitate an easier takeoff, spreading his wings. When he had enough speed he jumped, wings pumping to propel him into the air. 

Sometimes he was just so  _ tired  _ of hatred _. _ And sometimes -though he would never admit it aloud- he missed divinity. He missed the gentle light of the Heavens, the complete (almost naive) trust in all of his brothers and sisters, and the unwavering faith in his Father’s love. It was a far simpler era, and even after all this time he couldn’t help but think about it.

Lucifer leveled out into a glide once he was well above the Earth, sighing. Such thoughts like the ones he was having were unhealthy for the king of Hell. Instead, he focused on finding a nice spot to relax.

He avoided any possible human settlements, eventually settling on a small wooded glen by midday. The bright sun was reduced to speckles of light shining through leaves once he carefully descended through a few trees to land on the soil. A brook was bubbling nearby, just out of sight.

Lucifer chose to leave his wings out, knowing there would be no humans to gawk or cower anywhere nearby. He followed the sound of the stream, weaving through trees and bushes until he came upon it. It was small enough to be leapt across, winding through the forest with no particular pattern. 

Lucifer settled down at the edge of the creek. He dipped one finger into the water, feeling the gentle current part around it. The only sounds around him were the rustling of leaves, the stream, and the occasional chirp of a bird. 

He leaned back on his hands, looking up at the trees overhead before eventually resting his eyes. It was nice to simply let his mind drift.

“Of all the places to find you, brother, I confess that I was not expecting it to be here.” 

On instinct, Lucifer jerked from a sitting position to a crouch, ready to spring. His dark grey feathers ruffled as Michael stepped out from the underbrush. He was in his true form, white wings covering his face and his boots. Lucifer extended his wings, preparing to take flight. With no weapons but his lightning and hellfire, he knew he wouldn’t be able to beat Michael’s flaming sword. 

“Peace, Lucifer,” Michael cut in. “I am not here to harm you.”

“I’m not afraid of you.” Lucifer jumped to his feet, eyes staying on his brother.

“I know that much,” he dryly replied. “I’m not trying to intimidate you either.” 

Regardless of the fact that Michael held no sword in his hands, Lucifer’s feathers didn’t smooth down.  “What do you want, then?”

“Merely to talk.” Michael walked closer to the stream but still maintained a careful distance from him. The fact that he was wary made Lucifer proud. 

But what he said next threw him off guard. “Do you miss it, brother?”

“Miss what?” Lucifer asked, though he already knew what he meant. 

“Heaven. Do you miss being one of us?” At any other time, Lucifer would laugh in his face. But today, he couldn’t muster the energy.

“What does it matter if I do or not? It’s not like I can change it now.” Lucifer pointedly glanced away, not wanting to look in his direction even if Michael could see him. The Archangel’s second pair of wings and his smooth feathers painted him as an impassive figure.

“Yes or no, Lucifer?” He asked as he moved ever so slightly closer. His voice was quiet, strikingly gentle for once. 

“Of course I do,” Lucifer spat. “You knew that before you even asked.”

“But I wanted to hear it.” Michael crossed the last distance between them, coming to stand next to him. Lucifer glanced at him, imagining the smug look behind his second pair of wings. 

“So now you’re going to gloat, hmm?”

“At any other time, I would. But today...” He trailed off, shrugged. 

Silence stretched between them. Lucifer wasn’t sure whether he wanted to flee or fight him. He opted simply to cross his arms.

“Let me see you as you truly are, brother.” Lucifer was so taken aback by his request that he fell into his old pattern of listening to his older brother. His second and third pair of wings manifested themselves and reflexively extended over his face and feet. He still didn’t like the feeling of not being able to see out of his divine eyes. 

“Do you like seeing your handiwork?” Lucifer remarked, trying to make his words sting to cover up his discomfort. “Isn’t it lovely?” While he was unable to see anything but his own feathers, Michael was seeing his deep, ugly scars. 

Fighting and quarrelling was so, so much easier than whatever this was. Hatred was their new rhythm, and right now Lucifer desperately wanted to return to it.

Michael didn’t take the bait, though. Lucifer pulled his wings back from his face, narrowing his eyes at Michael through his white wings. He could tell he was looking at him with nothing but pity, and it hurt more than the flaming sword.

“Stop looking at me like that,” he warned, but it was an empty threat and they both knew it. 

Lucifer turned his back on Michael, covering his face again. Neither actions helped.

“Do you remember when it was just us?” Michael murmured. “Back before the Earth, before the rest of the Host...”

“Father liked you better,” came Lucifer’s immediate, petty response. 

“You did not believe such things at the time.” Lucifer sighed, wings sagging. 

“No, I didn’t.” He ran a hand through his hair as he turned to face him again. “What is it you’re trying to accomplish, Michael?” The archangel in question shrugged his shoulders, and Lucifer’s feathers rose.

“Is this some sort of intervention? Are you trying to get me to repent- trying to make me change my ways?” 

“I am always trying to make you change, Lucifer. The Host is less without your light and your song.” Michael’s soft tone made rage surge up inside him.

“Well it’s never going to happen!” Lucifer snarled. “And you know why that is?” The Archangel didn’t even flinch at his tone.

“It’s because you did this to me!” Lucifer yanked his second pair of wings from his face, ignoring the way his skin immediately started to crawl again. “ _ You _ did this to me!” His hand went up to the gouges around his eyes. “My own  _ brother! _ ”

Michael was silent, offering no excuse or justification. There wasn’t one he could give- and anyways, he could tell it wasn’t what Lucifer needed. Instead, he reached out with a hand.

“No, let me,” he quietly urged when Lucifer flinched back.

“When have I ever done anything you told me to do?” Lucifer fired back- and it would have been effective if not for the blatant nervousness on his face.

“Let me, Lucifer.”

Then Michael’s fingertips grazed the scars around his eyes. Lucifer shuddered but held himself firm, determined not to show weakness and flee. Michael’s thumb stroked under his left divine eye.

“There are days when I regret marking you so,” he whispered.

“Today?” Lucifer wondered, just as softly. 

“Yes.”

Lucifer closed his eyes, not wanting to see him. Michael’s fingers ghosted over his eyelids. The second pair of wings on Lucifer’s head instinctively extended a little before he got them back under control.

Knowing what he was feeling, Michael murmured, “Do you want to shield your face again?”

“I’m fine,” Lucifer grunted. Michael sighed. He knew exactly what Lucifer was thinking.

“How often do you try and fight it, brother?”

He opened his eyes. “Whenever I can. I do not intend to be ruled by my instincts.”

Michael shook his head with disapproval. It was a familiar gesture between the two of them, had been since it was just them and their Father. “It’s not that simple, Lucifer, and you know it.” 

“That doesn’t mean I’m not going to try. Maybe things will be different in a few centuries.” Michael didn’t reply, moving his hand away from Lucifer’s face. The fallen angel’s wings twitched.

“Lucifer,” Michael chided, “do not make yourself suffer. Cover your face.” Mentally, Lucifer wanted to argue. Physically, however, he had just about reached his breaking point. He extended his second pair of wings back over his face, muscles relaxing at the rush of relief. Michael didn’t say anything.

“Satisfied?” Lucifer grumbled.

“I am indeed.” After looking Lucifer over -he could tell he doing so due to the slight motion of his head- Michael sat near the edge of the creek. He looked out on the water, seeming to find no threat in his sibling now.

“Sit, brother. Don’t just stare at me.” Lucifer hesitated for a solid ten seconds before sinking down as well, albeit at a safe distance. He kept his wings folded close to his back. 

A moment of silence passed, perhaps a bit more comfortable than the last. The wing connected to Michael’s right leg stretched itself slightly before settling back into its relaxed position draped over his foot. 

Lucifer felt the need to say  _ something. _ “I could shoot hellfire at you right now. Burn you to a crisp.”

“That would be an idiotic maneuver, considering how we are right next to a stream.” Insufferable as always, he was. Lucifer snorted derisively, giving Michael a withering glare from behind his own wings that he knew he saw. One’s enemies possessing divine vision had its perks.  

“Fine, then I’ll shoot you with lightning.”

“But you won’t.”

“But I might,” Lucifer fired back, crossing his arms. 

“You won’t,” Michael repeated, sure of it even where Lucifer himself wasn’t. “I know you, little brother, where the rest of our siblings do not.”

“And does the rest of the Host agree with your efforts to bring me back?” Michael was quiet, before heaving a sigh. 

Yes, that’s what he had thought. Lucifer let most of his divine features fade -leaving just the first pair of wings on his back- so he could look at Michael.

“We all loved you, Lucifer-”

“And I loved all of you, back when I was nothing but Father’s Lightbringer. Do not speak to me of the past; speak to me of the present.”

Michael shrugged. “Those who disagree do not matter. I am the Archangel, and no one will dare go against me.” At that, Lucifer couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You sound like me, brother.” And then, miraculously, Michael moved his second pair of wings away from his face to give him a look. His eyes, Lucifer found, were a deeper brown and a more dazzling silver than he remembered. 

“We are related more than the others are, if you want to be technical. True kin, unlike the rest of the Host.”

“It is becoming of you.” Michael snorted as he covered his face again, and gave Lucifer an admonishing touch with the tip of his wing. 

“You would say that.” Lucifer didn’t reply, though, too distracted by the phantom sensation of Michael’s feathers on his arm. He had not felt such softness from him since before he fell. 

He tried to ignore how desperate for touch it made him, but shivered anyways. Michael’s expression, though hidden to him, softened. 

“Lucifer...when have you last felt the touch of another angel?” Not in a sexual sense, Lucifer knew he meant, but in a simply intimate one.

“I have my fallen,” he stiffly replied, skirting around the question.

“You don’t trust them enough to show them your vulnerability. Not even Iofiel.” And there was the truth, one kept close to Lucifer’s chest. He would let her know his homesickness, let her lie with him- but there were some things too personal even for her.

“I don’t trust you either,” Lucifer retorted, stung.

“But I know you better than they do. You don’t need to trust me for me to see it.” Lucifer didn’t reply verbally, but the ruffling of his feathers was enough. He looked down at the water.

Lucifer jerked violently with surprise when he felt Michael’s fingers run through his coverts, nearly tumbling into the stream. Michael grabbed his arm before he could.

“Easy, brother.” Like he was calming a wild beast.

“I’m fine,” Lucifer grumbled, pulling his arm away.

“How long has it been since you have let someone else preen your feathers?” Michael touched his right wing again when Lucifer shrugged, and he tensed up again. “A long time, clearly.”

“What do you get out of this?” Lucifer bit out through gritted teeth as Michael combed his fingers through his secondaries, massaging oils from the preen gland near the base of his wing into the soft feathers. 

“You know exactly why we preen each other. It’s because we are a family- even if you never let anyone get near your glands.”

“They’re sensitive,” Lucifer griped. “And anyways, we’re not family anymore.”

“You may be estranged-” Michael tugged lightly on his feathers and Lucifer shivered, “-but you are still my brother. Hush and let me work.” And in a rare show of obedience, Lucifer remained quiet.

Michael was gentle as he preened Lucifer’s wings, and his soft touch made Lucifer close his eyes and sigh. It was just as nice as it had been years and years ago in Heaven- maybe even more. He let his head droop. 

“Relax,” Michael murmured, stroking his primaries. Lucifer’s shoulders sagged as Michael pulled him back to lean against him. With his wings on either side it was easy to have his back flush against his chest. 

“There you go.” And then Michael began to hum in his ear. Lucifer was ashamed at how quickly it put him at ease, letting his voice wash over him. With his eyes closed he could almost -almost- pretend he was back in Heaven, before everything had changed. (For better or for worse... at that moment, with his brother humming in his ear, he wasn’t truly sure.)

Michael’s hum morphed into a lulling ( _peace/warm/soft/family_ ) croon. Its timbre sent tingles down Lucifer’s spine. Before he even realized he was doing so, his lips parted and his own ethereal song poured forth. It effortlessly melded and harmonized with Michael’s, as it was created to do. The combined sound rang through the air, with even the birds falling silent in awe. Michael gripped Lucifer a little tighter without thinking. 

It was beautiful.

It had been years since he had deigned to sing like this, just for pleasure- and in that moment he could hardly tell why. It felt like coming home. 

Their voices sinuously spiraled up the scale, reaching a crescendo with a dissonance that resolved itself a moment later like a breath of fresh air. Michael’s lips twitched, while Lucifer himself could only let the sound run over him. It was nearly overwhelming.

Not long after that, their voices dwindled back into silence. One of Michael’s hands drifted from his wing to the silver curls on his head, stroking them. 

They were, as they had been for so long, complete opposites. Where Michael wore youth on his form, Lucifer presented himself with the dignity of age- despite the fact that Michael was the elder brother. Lucifer’s divine eyes were scarred and sightless, where Michael’s were a shimmering silver. Evil clung to him like a cloak; Michael was wreathed in holy energy. They were heresy and divinity, yet connected by blood. Even though their separation was so wide, they were still brothers, still family. Two sides of the very same coin. 

“Come back to Heaven,” Michael urged, ever so softly. “Come back to  _ me. _ ” 

Lucifer sighed as the spell dissolved. All too easily, he lost his grip on the illusion, the -dare he say- hope that things might be different.

“You know I cannot.”

“But you can!” Michael insisted with sudden fervor.

“I  _ cannot _ ,” Lucifer repeated, his tone solidifying into steel. He detangled himself from Michael, rising to his feet. Michael followed suit. 

“I do not forgive so easily, brother, and the Host has wronged me in many ways.” Michael opened his mouth to reply, but Lucifer cut him off. “You are not exempt from that list, Michael.” The Archangel sighed. 

“I know.”

Lucifer turned away, taking a few steps forward. This was a lost cause...it had been from the start. He had been foolish to even entertain the ideas he had, and the thought of that made white hot shame flare up within him. 

“Lucifer.” Michael’s voice was quiet, hurried. Lucifer schooled his face into a detached expression and turned to face him. He raised a brow as he extended his wings for flight. 

“I wish things could have been different.” At that, a flash of raw pain cracked Lucifer’s hastily erected facade.

“As do I, brother.”

Then he was gone, leaving Michael alone with nothing but regrets and thousands of could-have-beens. 


	11. Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the fallen legion must be disciplined for the first time, Lucifer meets a strange soul, and Death comes knocking on Hell's door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Azrael is referred to with they/them pronouns.

Years and years passed. As the population of souls in Hell remained ever increasing, Lucifer had the idea to employ some of them in managing the others in exchange for not getting tortured themselves. It helped to take strain off of the fallen legion...so much so that, unbeknownst to Lucifer, a new problem had arose. 

( _ Lucifer/important/no danger/need to talk _ ) rang Azazel’s song through the air. It was colored with a curious mixture of shame and worry. Lucifer opened his mouth, singing a reply from where he was perched on a cliff not far from their camp. 

( _ I’m here/come to me _ )

Azazel soon landed before him, looking rather anxious. His white feathers were ruffled. 

“What is it, Captain?” Azazel shifted his weight.

“I...we...have a problem. But it’s mostly my fault.”

“Go on.” Lucifer looked him over critically, eyes narrowing slightly. What could Azazel have done to rattle himself so much?

He seemed to be struggling to find the right words, or any words at all. Lucifer tapped his foot impatiently. 

“Lower angels can breed with humans,” he blurted abruptly. Lucifer stared, feathers rising at this revelation. 

“And  _ how _ have you learned this fact, Azazel?” He swallowed nervously. 

“There have been...children. I thought they wouldn’t be a problem, but they’re exhibiting unusual, even...angelic traits.” Lucifer’s eyes were sharp like flint.

“Why am I just now learning of this?” He snapped. Azazel lowered his eyes.

“We didn’t think they would cause problems. They’re only children, adolescents at most.” Lucifer’s jaw clenched. 

“Have you ever considered that these...these hybrids might be a threat to us?”

“They would aid us in the fight against the Host, Lucifer!

“I am your king!” Lucifer immediately retorted, eyes blazing like the fiery pits nearby. “Treat me as such, soldier!” Azazel flinched back and fell to one knee, bowing his head and submissively tucking his wings close to his back. 

“I’m sorry, my king.” He turned his wings up a little, revealing the vulnerable undersides in a display of utmost obeisance. “I’m more sorry than you could know.”

“Prove it. Kill your abominations, and instruct the others to do the same.” Lucifer’s voice was flat. Azazel’s eyes widened before he quickly nodded.

“Yes, King Lucifer. It will be done.”

Lucifer flicked his hand dismissively. “Get out of my sight.” Azazel immediately fled. Lucifer watched him go, growling to himself.

To lie with those beasts was one thing- he had no quarrel with that. He could even say he liked humanity, with all of its capriciousness and its idiosyncrasies. But to sire a child- to taint their bloodline with animals was a whole different story. He had not even thought such a thing possible, for  _ he _ certainly had never gotten any human pregnant. (But then again, it was common knowledge that only two archangels could join together with their Father’s blessing to reincarnate a slain archangel back into the world. Lucifer had the same blood as them- and thus, different blood than Azazel and the others. He probably wasn’t compatible, thankfully.)

Lucifer shook his head, dismissing the tangent.  _ He _ was not the one bringing hybrid filth into existence. If Azazel didn’t fix this problem at once, he would eliminate it (and them) himself.

 

* * *

 

Word came soon enough that the hybrid children had been killed. Lucifer sent a few parties out to search Hell for their souls, but none of them were ever found. He was convinced that they had never even had souls in the first place until one of his soldiers discovered a strange-feeling soul trapped on Earth. Lucifer still couldn’t say he was too surprised. They weren’t human enough to get into Hell, but nor were they divine enough to get into Heaven. 

The fallen who had sired children (all male; a female angel’s womb was probably too divine to carry a mortal healthy enough to survive) rarely met Lucifer’s eyes anymore. He chalked it up to shame.

Let them feel that way, let them suffer for their mistakes. Let the others view them as an example of what happened when such things were done- when his fallen kept information from him. It served them right; damn the consequences.

 

* * *

 

Lucifer was resting in a narrow, isolated alcove sometime later -a decade on Earth, at least- when he noticed a Gate far off in the distance open and spit a pair of figures out. He didn’t pay any mind to it, assuming they were simply fallen returning from a trip to Earth, until he realized that the patrol near the Gate didn’t think the same thing. Lucifer was on his feet by the time shrieking alarm songs rent the air, and had taken flight by the time the voices of the interlopers reached his ears.

( _ Peace/no fighting)  _

_ (Need to talk _ ) rang the songs of Raguel and Sariel. Lucifer didn’t trust it for a second, pumping his wings faster. They weren’t exactly known to be the most peaceful of the archangels.

( _ Hold fast/I’m coming _ ) he sang, lightning sparking to life in his hands. The fallen didn’t reply or turn to look at him when he landed next to them, breathing heavily. 

Raguel and Sariel were standing there, feathers smooth and expressions unthreatening. Neither of them were holding their weapons.

“Ertrael,” Lucifer ordered, “go get Iofiel and a squadron.” 

The angel spread his tawny wings and was about to take flight when Sariel interjected, “There’s no need, Lucifer.” Ertrael faltered, looking to his king for a moment.

“Why have you come?” Lucifer snapped.

“Is nothing sacred?” Raguel shot back, eyes narrowing.

“Generally, no.” Lucifer looked them over. “What specifically is your problem, though? Ertrael,  _ go.” _ The soldier shot into the air, singing a summons as he went. 

“The abominations your fallen have sired are a blight upon our Almighty Father’s Earth,” Sariel answered, crossing his arms. 

“I had them put to death. What more does Michael want?” Raguel scoffed. Lucifer’s eyes narrowed. 

“Enough of the lies, Lucifer!” Sariel demanded. Lucifer’s feathers rose.

“I speak the truth, to my knowledge. What information do you have?”

“Nephilim walk the Earth now, spreading their filthy influence!” Raguel’s sword manifested in her hand. On instinct, Lucifer and the fallen patrol drew closer together, readying for a fight. Lucifer drew his bone knife with the hand not holding lightning. Sariel’s eyes strayed to it, but he didn’t say anything. 

“Clean up your mess, Lucifer, or we will do it for you.” With that, Raguel took wing. Sariel moved to follow, before hesitating.

“That was part of  _ him _ , wasn’t it?” He murmured. 

“His rib. Tell the rest of Host about it- I’m sure they’ll love to hear.” Sariel’s face twisted. He shot Lucifer a glare before leaping into the air after Raguel. He watched him fly, and let his lightning fizzle out.

“Ensure they leave,” Lucifer growled to the patrol before turning on his heel. Now his soldiers were  _ lying _ to him?

He leapt into the air, fists clenching and unclenching. Someone was going to pay for this.

 

* * *

 

_ “Azazel!” _ Lucifer roared as his feet touched the ground of their camp. The captain, who appeared to have been conversing with Arakiel, jumped to his feet immediately. Arakiel, upon seeing Lucifer’s expression, wisely backed away. 

“What’s wrong, my ki-” Lucifer cut him off by grabbing his throat. Azazel’s eyes bulged, but he knew better than to struggle beyond his wings flapping a little. 

“You  _ lied _ to me,” Lucifer hissed. Azazel opened his mouth to reply, but Lucifer tightened his grip on his neck and all that came out was a gagging noise. 

“I ordered you to slaughter those vile nephilim, and you  _ lied to me _ !” Azazel’s throat worked. Lucifer’s lip curled with disgust and he released him. Azazel doubled over, inhaling greedily. 

“I thought they  _ were _ all dead,” he rasped before coughing violently. His shoulders shook. 

“Clearly not, because Sariel and Raguel had something to say about it!” The captain’s eyes widened. 

“Archangels? Here?” He wheezed.

“Complaining because you and the other fallen couldn’t keep your seed out of where it didn’t belong!” Azazel cringed, turning his wings up to show Lucifer the undersides.

“I killed my own, King Lucifer. The others must have lied.” Of course they had.

“I want every single fallen who has sired nephilim, living or dead, standing before me this instant. Get them, Azazel.” 

“Yes, my king.” He was gone without another word.

Lucifer sat down on a rock, groaning. This was a  _ mess. _ Between the archangels and the nephilim themselves, he had no power over the situation and it annoyed him to no end. How was he even to confront so much disobedience in the ranks? He couldn’t lock them up, since there were no means to do so. He couldn’t bar them from duty- they needed as many wings as they could get. Same thing with injury or even death.

The first of the fallen landed with delicate precision. Lucifer looked up, narrowing his eyes. The power, Malchediel, looked like he wanted to be sick under his king’s scrutiny. As he should. Simply letting him squirm was far more agonizing than anything he could say.

As more of the guilty fallen came, Lucifer took his bone knife out of its sheath and laid it across his lap. Perhaps he  _ would _ finally be able to shed some blood with it. (The fallen were clearly fearing the same thing.) 

Azazel came with a final pair of soldiers, landing directly before Lucifer. “This is everyone, my king.” 

Lucifer didn’t answer. Azazel looked to be at a loss for anything to say. The fallen shifted uneasily and traded glances.

Lucifer picked up his blade, gripping it with his left hand as if he were preparing to use it. Then he rose to his feet. His feathers were eerily smooth. 

“Withholding information from your superiors is a serious crime,” he finally said as he tested the balance of his knife. His eyes were focused on the blade. No fallen dared utter a response. Lucifer strolled this way and that before them, not paying them any mind. The knife was already a familiar weight in his hand, but he still kept it moving, kept the fallen’s eyes on it. 

“Then, to think that you would go beyond that and  _ lie _ to me.” He knew that not all of the fallen were guilty of the second crime, but he could hardly care. Examples were to be made today.

Lucifer came to a halt before a soldier at random, his own expression neutral as he took in the nervousness on his face. The principality lowered his gaze and turned his wings up.

“I did not let you join my legion so you could disobey me.” Then he buried the knife in the meat of the angel’s wing, taking care not to hit any joints. It was pleasing to listen to him howl. After a moment, Lucifer grit his teeth and extracted the knife, apathetic to the horror and fear the fallen watched him with. 

He walked left this time, eyes sweeping down the line as they all avoided his stare and tried to keep  _ very _ still. Eventually he came to a halt before a virtue, again at random. He didn’t look up, but him feeling the weight of Lucifer’s stare was evident in how his feathers slowly rose. As a desperate plea, the soldier turned his wings up.

“Look at me,” Lucifer growled. The virtue swallowed and hesitantly looked up to meet his chilling gaze. Neither of them spoke.

Lucifer raised the knife, still wet with the principality’s blood, and drove it into the virtue’s shoulder. His high pitched pain-song grated through the air. A cringe rippled through the assembled fallen. Lucifer twisted the knife before wrenching it out, watching as the virtue staggered back, clutching a hand to the wound. 

Maiming was definitely sufficient as well as satisfying- frankly, it was already working wonders. The fallen looked terrified. Never before had such deliberate violence been inflicted by one of their own. But these wounds would not prevent them from duty, either, simply make it unbearably painful. A reminder for the perils of treachery.

He shot a bolt of lightning at another fallen, and he crumpled to the ground. 

“I did not become your king so you could laugh off my orders!” He bellowed, glaring. The fallen were smart enough to stay silent and stare at the ground. Lucifer snorted.

“None of you will go to Earth again until I feel like it. You will do nothing but manage souls, and the rest of us will treat you with the scorn you deserve.” He  _ definitely _ didn’t trust them enough to send them to kill their nephilim  _ again. _ He would have to consider alternatives.

“You will grovel at my feet for a shred of my forgiveness- but good luck getting it. You are all disgraces to your legion.”

And with that he stalked off, clutching his knife with a white-knuckled grip. He would inform the others about the guilty’s punishment, then find some place where he could be alone with the fire. He needed a damned nap.

 

* * *

 

Thus, after he told the camp of the rudimentary trial’s proceedings, Lucifer found himself sequestered in a remote cave, lying flat on his back and staring up at the ceiling. He definitely wouldn’t be found here -not even by Iofiel- which was the intent. He, along with the rest of the fallen, preferred high vantage points for their favorite spots, so he opted to simmer somewhere that was the complete opposite. He was sick of interaction for the moment. 

After wiping the blood off of his knife, Lucifer had placed it back in its sheath and laid it on a nearby rock. It wasn’t like he was anticipating any threats, especially here. 

Now to try his best not to get even angrier. Lucifer closed his eyes.

 

* * *

 

At some point, he became aware of eyes upon him. He tuned his senses back to his surroundings without moving, analyzing what had changed. 

There was definitely a presence. Quiet breathing, its rhythm betraying calm. 

Like clockwork, the presence cleared its throat. Lucifer opened his eyes. There looming over him, holding  _ his _ knife, was a ghastly looking soul with dark, glittering eyes. In them was a strange mixture of suspicion and interest. Lucifer narrowed his eyes.

“Other people say that the angel with no brand marking his skin is the most dangerous.”

“And you chose to threaten him with his own knife?” Lucifer growled. But before he could blast the soul with hellfire, he surprised him by not only lowering the blade, but flipping it to offer him the hilt.

Lucifer snatched it from him and got to his feet. It was understandable that the soul knew he was an angel even with his wings hidden: where souls’ forms were fuzzy at the edges, angels were jarringly solid. Despite this knowledge, though, the soul seemed completely at ease. Odd.

“What is your name?” Lucifer asked, admittedly a little curious about why this particular human had chosen to seek him out and wasn’t even nervous in his presence. 

“Ba’al Zebûl. Yours?”

“King Lucifer.” Ba’al’s eyebrows rose at the title.

“What high place are you lord of, Ba’al?” Even when the humans had divided into numerous different tongues, the fallen and angels alike possessed the ability to speak and comprehend all of their languages. It was something in their divine blood. 

“Everything,” Ba’al answered. “I am a god.”

Lucifer couldn’t help himself. He burst into laughter. (Ba’al didn’t appear to be taking any offense.)

“And people believed that? Truly?” Lucifer shook his head, still chuckling.

“It has its perks,” Ba’al replied. “Why be treated like a king when you can be treated like a god?”

_ Indeed. _ What a thought. 

“So you do not believe your own lies, Ba’al Zebûl?” Lucifer questioned, even though he figured he already knew the answer.

“Of course not, King Lucifer.” Ba’al’s lips twisted into a smile. “But all that matters is that my people do.” 

Wise words, ones which struck a chord in his chest.  _ Why _ be treated as a king when you can be treated as a god? 

Lucifer picked up his knife’s sheath, strapping it back around his waist and securing his knife inside it. Ba’al remained comfortable the whole time, as he surely was in life. 

Lucifer took a moment to debate the pros and cons of obliterating him on the spot. 

  * Pros: satisfaction, establishment of dominance, and the removal an annoyance so he could be alone again. 
  * Cons: he had ideas that were far too interesting to let go, and likely some methods to realize them as well. 



Damn it. 

Lucifer crossed his arms and glowered at Ba’al. “Be grateful that I am choosing to spare you from the lakes of fire, Lord of the High Place. I will not be merciful a second time if you dare to threaten me again.” He revealed his wings, and felt quite important when they distracted the soul for a few moments. (Perhaps he even stretched them a little, so they would seem bigger. )

“You said you are a king,” Ba’al said. “Is this your realm, the angels your subjects?” Lucifer nodded. 

“And the souls like me?”

“Useful pests for the moment. Take comfort in the fact that you were more interesting than irritating.” Ba’al gave him a toothy smile that made his face reminiscent of a skull stripped of flesh and bowed low.

“In that case, thank you for your mercy, King Lucifer. If I can be of your use again, I would provide my assistance.” Lucifer dipped his head. He walked to the mouth of the cave, before pausing with a thought, one that was best spoken now. He looked back at Ba’al Zebûl.

“You will be destroyed if you try to build up your cult again. A position of leadership amongst the souls is acceptable, but you are not deserving of godhood.”

“Of course, my king,” Ba’al said easily, grinning even wider. The way it split his face and stretched his skin was downright gruesome. Lucifer turned away and walked out of the cave, speeding up into a jog once out that enabled him to leap into the air and take flight. He knew that Ba’al was watching as he soared into the air, and couldn’t help but smirk to himself. There was something beautiful in the fact that even self proclaimed gods were in awe of his majesty.

Perhaps Ba’al could be useful in the future.

 

* * *

 

He still wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone, though, so Lucifer opted to just fly around his realm. He knew his way well enough that he had his bearings even at the farthest stretches of the cavern.

Though Hell did not have legitimate wind like on Heaven or Earth, it did have air movement from the uneven temperatures caused by the fire pits. There was an abundance of warm updrafts that made for easy flying, and Lucifer gladly coasted on them. For a blissful moment, the only thoughts on his mind were of Hell’s warmth and the feeling of wind running through his feathers. 

But, of course, more pressing matters came to the forefront of his mind soon enough. What was he going to do about the nephilim? Would the archangels invade if he ignored their demands? Were they even confident enough to attack?

He wanted to avoid spilling the blood of his legion at all costs. Each and every soldier was important, considering how every slain fallen would be reincarnated to bolster the Host’s ranks. But, then again, surely the archangels would be hesitant to attack Hell again after Adramelech. Perhaps they would just kill those abominations themselves.

Wouldn’t that be nice.

The strange buildup of power he had been feeling was restless in his veins at the thought of another invasion. It was practically conjoined with the serpent by this point, but still not fully ripe. As frustrating as it was, all he could do with it was bide his time.

 

* * *

 

In the end, Lucifer made the decision that he and his fallen legion would not raise a finger to aid the Host in their extermination. It was not an important enough issue for him to send his soldiers to Earth and leave Hell vulnerable. 

Preparing for a possible retaliation from Heaven, the fallen crafted makeshift weapons  from the brimstone that Hell was carved out of. Its ability to sustain hellfire without any other fuel but air made their weapons all the more dangerous. (They were going to need all the help they could get.)

Before they knew it, the fallen were all gathered together watching a dominion and a principality jokingly spar with flaming, sharpened pieces of rock. Each was claiming that they were a more convincing Michael. It was a good laugh that everyone needed, and soon more fallen were waving around “flaming swords” and having a go at a Michael impression. (At the captains’ insistence, Lucifer humored his brethren and took a shot at it. Even with shape changing banned -the fallen from the first sphere couldn’t have any advantage, after all- Lucifer easily topped them all.)

The night ended in friendly debauchery that even Lucifer chose to partake in. By the time everyone was finished, they had sprawled out into tangled piles of wings and limbs. One of Azazel’s pure white wings was draped over Lucifer like a blanket. The warmth encouraged him to succumb to sleep instead of flying off to worry and plot. It was a rare moment of peace not only for Lucifer, but for everyone.

 

* * *

 

Retaliation from the Host never came, much to Lucifer’s silent relief. The nephilim bred and spread further, and from what the fallen could tell, the angels weren’t doing very much to halt them. Lucifer was perfectly happy to leave them to it, if only to irritate the archangels. Rather than trying to fix the Host’s problems (even if Azazel was basically responsible), he could focus on running Hell and the fallen. The guilty were still under the bonds of their punishment, and probably would be for a while. Other than that, though, the legion had something like peace. 

But then death came on silent wings, as it always did.

“King Lucifer!” Baraqiel, Exael’s lieutenant, called as he ran up to him. Lucifer paused in the sharpening of his bone knife, taking in the fallen dominion’s anxious expression. 

“What is it?” He rose to his feet, sheathing the blade. Baraqiel’s feathers ruffled even more.

“Azrael.”

One word, one name was all Lucifer needed to comprehend the gravity of the situation. 

“Where are they?” He tried not to let his worry show on his face or in his feathers, for Baraqiel’s sake. He was clearly rattled. (Azrael had that effect.)

“The Gate we used to invade Hell. The one that leads to the desert. I was on patrol when they came through. They asked me to find you.” Lucifer nodded slowly.

“I’ll handle this. Find Iofiel and the captains, inform them of where I’m going.” Baraqiel nodded.

“Be careful, my king.”

“I will.” Then Lucifer jumped up into the air, gaining altitude before banking in the direction of the aforementioned Gate. What could Azrael, of all angels, want? They had always been somewhat removed from normal Heavenly affairs, as the angel of death. They were the last of the Host to be created, as a shepherd for the soon to be created mortal lives on Earth (which were simply plants and insects at first, before humanity was even a twinkle in God’s all seeing eye.) Despite being the youngest, though, Azrael held a strange authority. They had no choir, no definite physical state (aside from their pure divine form), and no true relationship with anyone else. No one had ever even heard them sing.

Even Michael usually deferred to Azrael if there was a disagreement between them, out of respect or maybe even fear. To Lucifer’s knowledge, no one had ever seen them angry. Mildly annoyed, perhaps, but never enough to incur any type of wrath. He was perfectly keen on keeping it that way.

Lucifer adjusted his course, heart pounding more and more the closer he got. Azrael had not even fought during the rebellion- they had just protected the dead and dying during the bloodbath, cradling them in their black wings, easing them into oblivion with such sad resignation. If any insurgent had even considered approaching Azrael, they would simply look at the rebel with their infinitedeependlessunfathomable eyes. The desolation in them had sent even Lucifer in the other direction. 

Had Azrael finally chosen to fight? Were they bringing it here to Hell?

Lucifer banked around a massive column, approaching the site of the Gate. Not far from where he knew it was humming, Azrael sat.

The only thing that was ever constant in their form (regardless of whether it was their pure divine or partial) was that their feathers were always black. They never shone in the light: no, they absorbed it. Everything else -be it number of wings, height, eye color, build, biological sex- changed constantly. In the time it took Lucifer to land before them, his perception of Azrael turned from a gaunt, blonde male with one pair of wings to a short, black haired female with three pairs on their back. Smaller wings were covering their face and their feet.

“Hello, Lucifer,” Azrael said. Their voice was serene, as it usually was. He couldn’t detect any anger.

“Hello, Azrael.” Lucifer kept his wings relaxed, attempting to convey a confidence that he didn’t actually have. 

“Are you afraid, little Lightbringer?” Everyone was dwarfed by Azrael in their pure divine form (though they didn’t even need it to be intimidating). The mere thought of that had Lucifer turning his wings up to Azrael out of self preservation instinct. 

Azrael’s expression, now on the face of an elderly, dark skinned woman, softened. Lucifer looked down at his feet. They were the only one who ever made him feel small.

They rose to their feet, stepping forward to place a wrinkled hand on Lucifer’s cheek. “You need not be afraid. No harm will come to you.” Their hand was warm, soft. He felt as it turned calloused against his skin.

“I simply wish to talk,” they rumbled, now with a deep voice. “Come sit with me.” Azrael curled a muscular arm lightly around his shoulders, guiding him to the rock where they had been sitting. Lucifer sat down with clear hesitation. Azrael followed suit, heaving a troubled sigh and rubbing their face.

Lucifer spoke up. “What is it?”

“Calamity is coming.” In the span of a blink, Lucifer now saw the angel of death as a figure covered in wings, with barely any skin visible anywhere. Their voice was discordant, echoing. “Calamity is coming to Earth.” 

Lucifer relaxed slightly. Hell was going to be alright. But why would Azrael come just to tell him this?

“I don’t understand.”

“Death on a scale I have never before witnessed. Father has prepared me for this inevitability.” Azrael shivered, countless wings rippling. Then, suddenly they were a young boy, just barely starting to come of age. Their single pair of wings appeared to be those of a fledgling (though Lucifer knew that what as he was seeing was always an illusion with Azrael.)

“Almost all of these souls will come to you, my little king. Prepare for them, or the Host will be forced to intervene.” Their legs were too short for their feet to touch the ground, so they simply swung them back and forth a little. 

Lucifer nodded slowly, turning this revelation over in his mind. He would have to enlist more souls. 

“Why are you helping me?” Azrael smiled, and it was the pitying thing one gave when a beloved sold themselves far too short.

“You are my brother, Lucifer, and your fallen are still my family as well. I am not keen on having any more angels killed after Adramelech.” Azrael, now an older, red haired woman, fixed Lucifer with a disapproving look. Lucifer turned his wings up, but offered no excuse. 

Instead, he tried, “Does Michael know you’re doing this?” 

Azrael didn’t miss a beat. “There are many things Michael does not know.”

“And you do?” 

The only response they offered was a long look. For a moment Lucifer was caught, falling into their infinitedeependlessunfathomable eyes. The feeling of vertigo made his heart crawl into his throat and his stomach twist into knots. He was falling, how long had he been falling, he was never going to stop-

Azrael’s voice seemed to be coming from far, far away. “There is power growing inside you, little king.” 

Abruptly Lucifer snapped back into himself, like a taut rubber band being released. He blinked a few times, shaking his head as if to clear cobwebs away. 

“You can feel it, can’t you?” Azrael pressed. Lucifer gave a shaky nod. There was no sense in lying when they already knew. 

“You’re like me, Lightbringer.”

“What?” He blurted before he could stop himself. Surely they were night and day.

Patiently, Azrael continued, “We are both angels, yes, but we are not like the others. There is something different in our blood, our souls- we have a higher calling independent of our loyalty to our family.”

“Or a lower calling,” Lucifer remarked under his breath.

Azrael nodded sagely. “Indeed.” 

Lucifer looked out into the distance, ignoring how Azrael kept changing in the corner of his eye. Of all the ways he had been expecting this to go... This was not even on the list.

“Find a way to see your reflection, then look upon your pure divine form. You will understand what I mean then.” Lucifer knew better than to ask how they knew what they did. 

“When will the...the power inside me crest? What is it building towards?” Azrael covered their face with the wings on their head. 

“They will have a new name for you. You are simply changing to fit it.”

Changing. Physically, or emotionally? 

“Our brother was the beginning.” Azrael’s voice turned distant. “I can only wonder how far you will go.” 

Lucifer’s feathers began to rise. “You have no right to pass judgement upon me.”

“Why not, when you are deaf to it anyways?” Azrael’s black feathers were smooth as they gave Lucifer another displeased look. He got to his feet, crossing his arms.

“No right, Azrael.”

As the angel of death stood, their appearance changed to that of a hulking, beastly male. They towered over Lucifer, and his feathers only rose more in response.

“Get out,” he ordered, settling a hand on the hilt of his bone knife. Azrael’s lips curled with amusement.

“I will, little king.” Lucifer narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t patronize me!” He snapped, hellfire erupting in his hands. “You are in my kingdom, and you  _ will _ show me respect!”

Azrael’s expression hardened. All at once they shifted into their pure divine form.

Countless wings, infinite eyes, endless hands. Lucifer was accustomed to seeing the true forms of his siblings, but Azrael’s still made his eyes ache. They were difficult even for him to comprehend.

“I have but a single shred of respect left for you, Lucifer.” Their voice was roaring yet tremulous, high yet low, hundreds of different voices speaking as one. Lucifer stepped back, raising his flaming hands threateningly.

“You have my decency only because you are my kin. Everything else was obliterated the moment I had to hold the first dying angel in my wings!” Azrael flared their wings up. Lucifer flinched back. All of their eyes were staring at him, condemning him. Each individual gaze was thick and heavy.

“You will never command anything of me. You are only alive now because I have chosen not to  _ reap you where you stand. _ ” They snapped their wings aggressively. Lucifer raised his own in front of him to shield himself. 

“And where you have failed and succumbed to passion and slaughter, I will show you mercy. Because I am  _ better. _ ” Azrael turned, opening the Gate with three of their endless hands. Lucifer backed away slowly, fully aware that he was still being watched. But even still, he couldn’t bear the thought of Azrael having the last word.

“I am more than you will  _ ever _ be.”

“And you will remain  _ deaf _ ,” they hissed, then plunged into the whirling flames of the Gate. Even after it snapped shut Lucifer kept hellfire in his hands to make himself feel a tad safer. Try as he might to disregard Azrael’s words, they still cut deep. 

When the Gate continued to remain dormant, Lucifer gradually let the hellfire in his palms disperse. Azrael was probably -hopefully- done with him. 

( _ Lucifer/help?/ready to fight/defend _ ) rang the voice of Iofiel. Lucifer turned as she and the three captains dove towards him.

( _ Safe _ ) he assured them in the split second it took for them to land. “They had nothing but words for me.” Iofiel sighed with relief.

“What’d they say?” Exael asked. Lucifer was too jumpy to sit, so he began to pace. 

“God is bringing death to Earth.”

“All of it?” Azazel exclaimed. Lucifer shrugged.

“They warned me that Hell should be prepared for the souls that come, or Heaven will step in.”

“Because that went well for them last time,” Arakiel said with a snort. Exael barked out a laugh.

“Could we benefit from an influx of souls?” Iofiel mused, expression conflicted. 

“If we terrify them into submission they could make great slaves,” Azazel suggested, clearly already envisioning it.

“We could make them build us a fortress!” Exael was on the bandwagon now. “Sleeping in the open is freeing and all, but I want my own space again.”

Arakiel furrowed her brow. “But how would they build it? There are no trees here, the stone is tough-”

“But not impenetrable,” Azazel interjected.

“You are all getting far too ahead of yourselves,” Lucifer griped. The captains, properly abashed, fell quiet. Iofiel sighed.

“Why would Azrael tell you this?” She wondered.

“Are they wanting to defect?” Arakiel added.

“Imagine that!” Exael remarked, eyes wide just at the thought. Lucifer held up a hand before they could get going again. 

“They’re loyal to Heaven. They made that  _ very _ clear. It was out of respect for our kinship and nothing more that they warned me.” He decided not to mention the forces building in his veins. 

“What are we going to do, then?” Iofiel pressed.

“We recruit more souls, organize Hell as much as we can. I’d rather the Host not invade again.” They could all sympathize with that. Lucifer stretched his wings before puffing out a sigh. 

“Do any of you know of a Gate that would take me to a still pool of water?” Iofiel and the captains took a moment to process this.

“What?” Exael blurted. Lucifer didn’t blink. When he said nothing more, the four fallen exchanged looks. Apparently he was serious.

“How big?” Azazel asked.

“Doesn’t matter. It just needs to be still.”

Arakiel hummed thoughtfully. “I know of a Gate that is a day’s fly south from some large lakes. They flow, but there are probably smaller pools.” Lucifer nodded.

“We can always ask the rest of the legion,” Azazel offered, but Lucifer made a dismissive gesture. 

“Arakiel’s suggestion will be fine. I could use a couple of days of repose anyways.”

“When are you going?” Iofiel inquired.

“Now. As long as you all are organized enough at the moment to be comfortable with me leaving.” Exael snorted with amusement.

“You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?” Lucifer gave him a chastising look and the captain sheepishly turned his wings up.

“Yes, I am.”

Azazel snickered. “We’ll be fine, Lucifer. Just be vigilant on Earth- we don’t know when the death is coming, correct?”

“Yes,” Lucifer confirmed. “But two Earthen days are a blink of an eye. I’m sure it will take longer than that to enact any plans. Arakiel, will you take me to this Gate?”

“Of course.” She jumped up into the air, climbing up to a healthy altitude. 

“Make sure to keep everyone from doing anything stupid,” Lucifer told the remaining three before following Arakiel.

“We’ll do our best!” Exael called after him. Lucifer snorted.  _ You had better. _

 

* * *

 

It was a long flight in the grand scheme of Hell, so Lucifer had some time to ponder Azrael’s words. How could he have changed? Would it be painful? Ugly? Another insult from Father? He was only comfortable discovering the meaning behind what Azrael told him on his own, where he could examine his reflection without interruptions or criticism. 

Arakiel tilted her wings up, slowing just enough that Lucifer caught up with her.

“It’s a straight flight from here,” she supplied before he could ask. They parted to fly around a stalactite before coming back together. The warm updrafts were making Arakiel’s hair stream behind her like a cape. 

“Are you okay, Lucifer?” She was staring straight ahead when he glanced her way, expression unreadable. Lucifer thought it over, knowing she wanted a candid answer rather than the automatic reassurance he gave most every other fallen. She was quiet, patiently waiting for him to be ready to speak.

“I believe I am,” Lucifer said. “Certainly better now than in comparison to decades ago. Are you planning on bonding with Kokabiel again?” It was a gentle deflection, and a far easier topic. It was nice to think about things that didn’t concern the fate of Hell or the survival of the legion.

“Yeah, we’re going to again. I love her very much.” Arakiel smiled to herself.

“And she, you. We all see her strut and preen for you.” Arakiel laughed and Lucifer’s lips twitched. 

“Does she use those extra arms on you?” He was grinning now. Arakiel let out a mock gasp.

“You hush!” She whacked Lucifer’s wing with one of her own. Lucifer careened off of his flight path, squawking as he scrambled to right himself. Arakiel -knowing that he understood they were just playing- laughed even louder. 

“I’ll take that as a yes, then!” Lucifer yelled over the wind and her cackles. She only gave him a cheeky wink over her shoulder. Lucifer chuckled, flapping his wings harder to come up next to her again. Arakiel let her broze primaries graze his, this time in a far gentler, affectionate manner. 

“We’ll hit the Gate soon.” Lucifer nodded, and the quiet that settled over them now was peaceful. Beneath them, a cluster of souls scattered and dove for cover as they sailed over the flat expanse of red stone. 

“Will you and Iofiel bond again?” Arakiel asked, looking to him. Lucifer chose not to answer immediately, unsure about the answer himself. 

“I’m very fond of her.”

“That much is obvious, Lucifer.” He raised his hands in a shrug. 

“I’ve never truly been one for bonding. You know that.”

“You’ll never let anyone be your equal.” It wasn’t an insult or an accusation, simply a statement of fact. Lucifer knew that.

“I don’t trust anyone else with the responsibilities I solely possess. To share that burden would allow someone else to be able to mess it up.” Arakiel sighed, but the sound was stolen by the wind. 

“An emotional equal, though?” Lucifer stared straight ahead when Arakiel looked at him. 

“There are some things that can never be shared with others. It is something I am willing to bear.” And he did already. Arakiel didn’t reply, so he chose to leave it at that. They were approaching a jagged crevasse that zig zagged through the stone below. The bottom of it was visible but distant.

“It’s on the wall of the crevasse,” Arakiel said, adjusting her wings into an incline. Lucifer did the same. 

“Have you explored the bottom?” He inquired as they descended into the yawning crack. 

“Somewhat. There are a few small caves here and there.” As they approached the Gate, Lucifer could feel its presence. 

“Here,” she announced, quick wingbeats keeping her more or less in place as she reached out and opened the portal. A blast of hot air buffeted them as it roared into existence.

“Thank you, Captain.” She dipped her head respectfully.

“Always, my king.” He studied her for a moment before plunging into the fiery vortex. Arakiel had always been very insightful, and he didn’t dare risk any more time under her scrutiny with a longer farewell. He knew she understood.


	12. Twelve

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Lucifer goes to Earth and discovers something new about himself.

Lucifer hit the damp soil face first. Even after so many trips, the landing still caught him off guard sometimes. He cursed into the ground and heaved himself up into a sitting position. It felt like he was covered in wet dirt, and this theory was quickly proven by the shower of earth that fell from his hair, feathers, and clothing. He couldn’t help a grimace. Soggy clumps were still sticking to him in places.

At least he would be able to bathe after he studied his reflection. But in the meantime, he would have to live with being filthy. One more reason to be grateful that he was doing this alone. The surrounding forest was damp and chilly. Mist stirred around the trees. The sun would burn it off come noon, but until then it would linger. Lucifer craned his neck up to look at the canopy of branches above his head. It didn’t seem to be thick or tangled enough to impede him if he tried to break through it. He could probably manage it.

Well, he had might as well. Lucifer jumped up into the air, wings picking up the slack when gravity tried to pull him back down. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his face just in time for him to hit the canopy. Twigs snapped and scratched at him, catching on his clothes before being yanked free by his momentum. A second more and he was in the open air with plenty of room to breathe. Lucifer opened his eyes, studying first his scratched arms. Thankfully, there had been no blood drawn.

He shifted his attention to his surroundings, taking in the endless expanse of forest that stretched out in every direction like a blanket. Mist was woven throughout. It was a lot to take in.

A day’s flight...in which direction had Arakiel said? Oh dear. A day’s flight...

“South!” He announced as it came to him, whirling around with an air of triumph and propelling himself in the right direction. The air was cool, and less humid at this altitude. Farther away, a pair of birds of prey were gliding. It looked like a promising updraft, so Lucifer adjusted his course in their direction. He caught up quickly.

The pair of birds were big, but dwarfed regardless by an angel. Initially they angled themselves away from him, wary of such a massive creature, but when Lucifer didn’t pay them any mind they gradually drifted back over. Perhaps they could sense he was not hunting today.

Were they a mated pair, surveying their territory? Or were they migrating? Time would tell. Lucifer, now on autopilot, let his mind drift to nothing in particular. It was a blissfully non stressful experience.

At some point, the larger of the two birds let out a piercing shriek that echoed far. It brought a smile to his lips. How unafraid they were to assert their dominion over the land below! Encouraged by this, Lucifer belted out a high note, taking pride in how it boomed and spread far and wide. Fitting for a king.

But when he glanced to the side, the birds were gone. He was unprepared for the surge of disappointment that welled up in his chest. He had frightened them off.

Which was, he supposed, the proper response to the King of Hell asserted his dominance. Why did he feel so melancholy, then? Lucifer sighed. He would have to get used to this if he was going to be a proper king. If he was this emotional with birds... Lucifer shook his head. His weakness was not for his subjects to ever see. A firm hand was going to be needed at all times.

Lucifer sang another loud note, this time strangely emboldened by the disconcerting feelings in his chest. The power of the sound hardened his heart. He was a king.

He was a _king._

 

* * *

 

A day later, Lucifer found himself standing at the shore of a placid lake, apprehensive of what was to come. The water stirred only slightly thanks to the current lack of wind. He could make his reflection out, if a bit distorted.

How could he have changed? Should he even look? What if assuming his pure divine form triggered something permanent, like with the serpent?

What was it Azrael said? A new name... And he was changing to fit it. Was it wise to embrace or delay the inevitable?

The curiosity gnawing at him soon won out. After taking a steadying breath, Lucifer closed his eyes and shifted into his true form. He kept both pairs of eyes screwed shut initially, not wanting to see. He didn’t _feel_ any different: he still had six functional wings, four eyes. Scars, too, Lucifer could confirm after touching his face.

Tentatively, Lucifer opened his mortal eyes. His reflection revealed that they were still blue, and that he appeared completely unchanged. His face was starting to prickle, so he covered it with the wings on his head for a moment to breathe. What had Azrael meant? So far, it looked like he had stressed over nothing.

But then he opened his divine eyes.

Lucifer’s breath caught in his throat. His second pair of wings was still covering his face, but he could _see_ again. Everything was tinted a dark, thick amber color, but besides that his vision was just as it was before Michael blinded him. Lucifer uncovered his face, fingers coming up to graze his eyelids. The scars were still there, but his divine vision had been restored.

Why the strange color, though? Was it the result of some sort corruption? That would make sense, considering how he was far from holy nowadays. Lucifer leaned over the water to take in his reflection with his mortal eyes, since divine vision couldn’t.

Where once his divine eyes had been a shimmering silver or a clouded white, now they were completely black- even where there should have been white. It was like someone had spilled wet ink over his eyes. Lucifer didn’t know whether to be disgusted or intrigued- but at least it explained the tint of his vision.

_They will have a new name for you._

The darkness in his eyes was as bleak as the pits of Hell he now resided in. Was it another jab from Father, like the serpent? Or was it something else entirely? He could _see_ again- that was a reward, not a punishment. Perhaps his “lower calling” had led to this change, just like the growing power in his soul.

Lucifer pressed a fist to his chest, feeling his heart pulse and the power coil beneath it. The darkness in his eyes -in his soul- was his birthright. Just like his throne.

He leapt up into the air, turning back in the direction he had come. He could only imagine what the reaction of his fallen would be. Overhead, the sky was blanketed in heavy, dark clouds. The sun was quickly being swallowed up- it would rain soon. Lucifer grimaced. He disliked flying in the rain- angels’ feathers might have oil to repel water, but his hair and his clothing didn’t have the same luxury. He’d be soaked through.

And sure enough, after a warning rumble of thunder the rain began to fall. Lucifer muttered a curse.

At least Hell would dry him out.

 

* * *

 

The rain never ceased, and only got colder and harder as the day wore on. There was no end in sight to the clouds. Lucifer made sure to stay low- getting struck by lightning mid flight was a painful and irritating annoyance he was keen to avoid. It also helped with navigation, allowing him to find landmarks he had memorized on his previous flight so he could make sure he was going in the right direction. Aside from the occasional bolt of lightning, it quickly became dark as night. He could really only see with his divine vision (if it could even be called such a thing anymore.) Thankfully, with his second pair of wings clamped down over his face, he was able to keep the worst of the water out of his eyes.

By the time he could say he was about halfway back, the wind was starting to throw him around like a leaf. He had to strain his wings to keep flying in the right direction. He was shivering hard from the chill. His muscles were starting to burn from exertion.

Of _course_ he had chosen to come to Earth right before a massive storm. This was easily the largest one he had been in, and it showed no sign of letting up the farther he flew. It was starting to concern him.

Not that being late was the issue. No one would mind. He was more worried about injuring himself in this wind. Maybe he could find a place to wait it out?

Lucifer peeled his second pair of wings away from his face, squinting to see anything with either pair of eyes. The forest was thick, enough to where he could only see occasional patches of ground.

Wait a second. Hadn’t he seen that dead tree earlier?

A blast of wind sent him careening wildly to the left. He struggled to right himself as he spun erratically, but it was like trying to keep afloat in tumultuous seas. Lightning kept flashing all around him.

During his confusion, a tree branch came out of nowhere and clipped his wing. Lucifer cursed. When did he get low enough to hit the forest? Then came another, and another, hitting him like whips. He was crashing through the canopy, wings struggling to fight the wind- which way was up? Rain stung his uncovered eyes, blurring his vision-

Lucifer hit the ground hard, smacking into the cold mud. Sharp pain shot up his leg and the wing connected to it. His ears were ringing from the constant booming of thunder.

His blackened eyes weren’t the punishment he had been expecting- this was. Without a doubt. Lucifer raised his head, panting open-mouthed as he tried to hold in pain-song. His foot was twisted at a grotesque angle. The rest of his body was screaming from the impact as well.

_Get up. Get up._

Lucifer tried to clamber to his feet, but everything hurt and the foot spared from the fall kept slipping. Anytime he tried to put weight on his twisted ankle he almost threw up.

_Try again. You can’t just rot here._

With a groan, Lucifer rooted his hands in the thick mud and forced himself up onto his knees. He dragged his leg up, planting it into the earth. But as he shifted his weight onto it, his knee wobbled and he crumpled back down face first onto the icy sludge.

Frustration made his muscles tense. He reared up from the mud regardless of the pain it brought, supporting his weight with his hands. The rain carved streaks through the smears of mud on his face.

“Father!” Lucifer cried out, voice shrill. As if in response, the sky rumbled. He tried to get up again, but the moment he managed to get vertical he lost his traction in the mud and collapsed onto his hands and knees. His ankle was throbbing in time with his heartbeat. The freezing rain was pounding down on his back. Lucifer’s shaking grew harder.

“Father!” Lucifer yelled again, but his voice was drowned out by the howling of the storm. He didn’t know why he was calling to Him, now of all times. It wasn’t for hope of salvation, nor out of rage. But the pressure was building in his chest. He needed to be heard.

Lucifer threw back his head and screamed a song at the top of his lungs.

( _Look what You -holyholyholy- have done to me_ )

He inhaled and screeched the melody again, hating the praises that instinctively came with His name in song.

( _Look what You -holyholyholy- have_ **_done_ ** _to me!_ )

“See me!” He roared up to the Heavens, eyes blazing. Did God even care to look in his direction? Was the Host laughing at him, thinking him a tantruming child for his demand for attention?

“I am your Lightbringer!” He slammed his fist into the mud with a scream. “Look down upon me- face what you have wrought upon the son you claimed to love!”

The sky above was black, twisting and turning endlessly. No words, no sign came. Father was silent. What else was he expecting, honestly?

Suddenly, a new scent rose in the air. Lucifer felt the hair on his arms stand up.

He figured it out a moment too late. The bolt of lightning hit him dead on, and his vision went white before giving way to endless darkness.


End file.
